Secrets
by InfiniteZone
Summary: Every person has their secrets. Some have more than others. But when Lexi, a cocky elemental, joins the Team, she brings her deadly secrets with her. What will happen if those secrets got out? RobinxOC
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning

My name is Lexi Cross. Some call me a hero, while others call me a villain. Whatever you decide to call me, just know I have done everything in my power to protect innocent people from the clutches of evil. Most times I succeed, other times it completely backfires on me.

My life isn't pretty, but I like it. There are some very special people who make me who I am today. Without them, you'd probably see me in jail or in Arkham Asylum. That's where the 'villain' comes from. I've done some pretty bad things in my past, but you don't need to know what.

This is my story. My world. Do you dare to step in?

It all started one stormy May day, a week and a couple of days after my birthday. I was walking home from the library. Of course, there was nothing good to read, since I read all of the good book there. Really, the checkout lady knows me by name.

Since it was getting late, and I didn't want to walk to highways in the dark, I decided to cut through the alley I knew would take me remotely close to my house. I knew I shouldn't have gone that way because of all the crime in Gotham, but I seriously needed to get home.

I turned into the alley and heard a shout. I hadn't been introduced to the crime-fighting world yet, so I was terrified. I hid behind the dumpster that was between us, and observed the whole scene:

There was a flash of black, and a large thud as a body hit the cement floor.

"Heh, that's all you got? I thought you were supposed to be the Dark Knight," A gruff voice said.

"I am the Dark Knight," another voice replied, and there was another flash as the person got up.

At that moment I realized that the person was Batman, and he was doing his job.

Only he was losing.

"Oh Mr. Bat, are you searching for your bird?" The voice taunted.

The two people moved into the light, and I gasped. Batman had cuts all over his body, and he was breathing heavily. His opponent was a giant. He towered over Batman and had extremely large muscles. Those muscles flexed and he landed a punch on Batman's face, and he went down. Hard.

"No," Batman coughed as the large man lifted up his foot, which had large spikes drive into the bottom.

I bit my lip. I couldn't let Gotham's greatest hero die and not have done anything about it, yet if I did do something and he came after me… well, let's just say I'd look like Swiss cheese.

So I raised up my hand and the water pipes shifted beneath me. Water started rising around my feet and traveled toward the large man. With a swift movement, the water rose up taller and taller until it gathered into a giant wave. The wave cast a shadow on the large man, making him look up.

"What the-" But he didn't have time to finish his sentence. I sent the wave toward him with as much force as I could muster. The large man was driven off his feet, so I froze the water around him into a large dome so he couldn't move.

Once the large man was taken care of, I ran to Batman, even though the water soaked through my shoes. Batman had his eyes closed and he was barely breathing.

I got to my knees and shook him a little, "Uh, Mr. Batman?"

He opened his eyes through his cowl, blinked slowly, then focused on me, "You saved me?"

"Yeah, I think so," I said, standing up. I extended my hand to him and he grasped it. Panicking slightly when I realized Batman was too heavy for my hand alone, I moved my free hand and the ground moved at my command, pushing him upright.

Batman leaned heavily against the wall, "Thank you."

"I couldn't let you die. Your Gotham's finest hero."

"Can't take all the credit."

"That's right. Don't you have a sidekick? What's his name? Blue jay, Mockingbird,

Swal-"

"Robin."

"Oh yeah! Where's Mr. Robin?" I asked him.

He grunted, "Probably doing something he shouldn't. So, what's your name?"

"Uh, Lexi," I tucked a piece of brown hair behind my ear.

Batman smiled slightly, "Are you a superhero?"

I shifted slightly, "No, uh I mean, not until today."

"We should probably get him to jail," Batman motioned toward the large man, but then winced.

"Don't worry about it, that ice is really hard. Do you want me to call an ambulance?" I asked, after his hand flew up to his side in pain.

"No, I can take care of that myself."

"Alright then, if you don't need me anymore," I began to walk away.

"Wait a moment," I stopped, "Do you want to be a superhero?"

I frowned. Being a superhero would be such a change of pace, something entirely new. I didn't want a mentor to tell me what to do. I just healed. I just got used to being alone.

"No," I said firmly, "I don't."

"But you could do so much. You could help me," Batman explained.

"I'm sorry, Bats. I don't want to," My old attitude slipped out, and I started to walk away again.

"So, you don't want to help others? Be apart of the greater good?" He was trying to guilt me. And it was working.

I sighed. I really didn't want to be a superhero with a lot of fame. But, when Gotham's greatest hero asks you something, you just can't refuse.

"How about this," I walked back over to him, hands on my hips, "You call me when you really need me. Not just to stop robbers or people who think they are bad. Only when your life or your superhero friends' lives are in danger. Nothing else. Got it?"

He nodded, "Got it."

I dug into my bag and brought out a piece of paper and pencil. On it I wrote:

_Lexi Cross: 440-456-9081_

I gave him the piece of paper, then eyed him critically, "You sure you don't want me to call 911?"

"Positive," He assured me.

"Ok, if you're positive. Bye, Batman," I walked away from him for the final time, and behind me, I heard the Bat calling the police.

"Hello, may I speak to Lexi Cross?"

I sat up, my phone propped between my ear and shoulder, "Speaking. Who's this?"

"Batman."

I immediately grabbed the phone with my hand, "What's the emergency?"

"The emergency is that you don't have a costume," said Bats.

I literally felt my face change from worried to pissed, "That's not an emergency!"

"Well, if you want to fight crime, you going to have a secret identity."

"Humph. I don't want to fight crime."

"Too bad. Be outside in five minutes." Click. He hung up. I shut my phone with a snort. Surely he wouldn't come to my house in the light of day?

I opened my front door and felt my jaw unhinge. In my driveway was the Batmobile, and the side door was opened.

"You'd think I was in trouble," I commented as I slid into the passenger seat.

"Not exactly," said Batman as he put the car in gear.

"What were you thinking?! I told you to call only in emergencies, and yet you show up with the freaking Batmobile!"

"Watch your mouth. If I'm to be your mentor, you better give me respect."

I froze, "Mentor? Did you just say mentor?"

"Yes. I believe that you have some real potential. And with some training, you really could be an exceptional fighter."

"Sorry Bats, but there's two things flawed with that."

He eyed me, "And what is that?"

I glared at him, "I don't want or need a mentor. I've had my fair share of 'role models' and they all failed me. I don't want to be a crime fighter, and you can't make me be one. If there was some miracle that I did want to be your apprentice, wouldn't your Robin be jealous with my awesomeness?" I sly grin seeped onto my mouth.

"Robin would have to manage. Crime fighting is an art that you could really learn, Lexi. It brings honor and pride not to mention justice. And-"

I settled back in the seat with my arms crossed and tuned out Bats' lecture.

"Here we are," Bats said, putting the car in park.

I surveyed the area when I stepped out. It was an abandoned storage garage.

"Here? What's here besides rats?" I asked.

"There's more than meets the eye. A lesson you might want to learn," Batman paced over to the nearest door. He banged on it twice with his gloved hand, and a couple of panels flipped out on the side. Batman typed in a bunch of things, pressed his palm to a scanner.

"BATMAN: 02." A electronic voice replied, and that storage door opened into a staircase.

"What the heck," I breathed. Batman motioned me to follow him. We descended down a couple flights of stairs before coming to an large room. It was maroon colored walls with a dark brown wood flooring. A couple of plush couches littered the place.

"Batman. How are you?" A short, stout woman with straight black hair and dark eyes hidden beneath glasses peered at him.

"Hello Helga," Batman gave a small nod.

"Hey, Batman!" I turned and saw a man clad in all red with another man dressed in emerald green, both sitting on the biggest couch.

"Found yourself a new sidekick?" asked the green one.

"What's Robin going to think?" teased the red one.

"What's her name, Batman? Feather?" the red man walked over and prodded me on the arm.

"Lexi," I said, leaning away from him.

"She has a temper," remarked the green man.

"Just like you," the red one smiled.

"I keep mine in check. And you, Lexi, better be nice to these men. They might just save your life one day. Flash, Green Arrow, this is Lexi."

"Nice to meet you," I hesitantly extended my hand, greeting the two heroes. .

"Now, what brings you here?" Helga interrupted, her eyes piercing the four of us.

Batman gestured to me, "Lexi would like to take up crime-fighting. She needs a costume and a name."

Helga huffed, "And you think I could do it?"

Bats showed the first hint of a smile, "I only use the best."

Helga relaxed, "You got that right," She walked over to me, "Why, deary, you have very pretty eyes! Certainly I'll make a mask that showcase them! Now, come, come! We mustn't waste any time!" Helga grabbed my arm and led me into a separate room. All the sides were mirrors except the left one, which had a large desk that held everything from fabrics to sequins.

Helga took my height and weight, and, awkwardly, made me strip down. She took all my measurements, all the while assuring me that _every_ superhero had to go through it.

I made a face when I pictured Batman in his underwear.

"Well, some are better than others," Helga remarked when she saw my face.

Thankfully, the measuring didn't take long, and I could put my clothes back on.

We sat opposite of each other in high backed chairs that I couldn't lean back in.

"Let's get down to business, Lexi. What are your powers?" Helga asked with a sketchbook in her lap and a pencil behind her ear.

"I can control the four basic elements, water, earth, fire, and air."

"Hmmmhmm, ok," Helga nodded, bent over the sketchbook.

"Do you want a formfitting outfit? Or something more loose?"

"Do you have something in between?" I asked.

"Dearest, I have everything!" Helga's brow furrowed. I watched as her hands flew across the page, sketching out my future costume. My awe grew as I watched her work. I love art, and being in the presence of an artist, a _superhero_ artist, I almost bounced out of my chair with envy and happiness.

The sketching process took no more than twenty minutes. Helga then got up and shifted around in her large desk, taking things out, putting things back, and occasionally muttering to herself.

"Ok, Lexi," Helga said finally, "I have everything I need. Just sit tight and wait for about a half hour while I sew."

She left, so I walked back to Bats and his friends.

"Just because I'm getting the costume, doesn't mean I'm crime-fighting," I told Bats sourly.

"You'll rethink that," said Green Arrow.

"I think not," I flashed back.

"She has all the qualities," Flash told Batman.

"If she just could control her tongue," Batman glared at me.

"You should introduce her to Robin, I'll bet they'll get along," Green Arrow offered.

"I'll do that as soon as you introduce her to Kid Flash and Speedy," Bats retorted.

"Why are you hiding her from-" Flash was interrupted by Helga.

"If you boys are finished," She cast a critical eye on everyone, "Lexi's costume is finished," She beckoned and I followed.

I slipped the blue mask over my eyes, and surveyed myself in the mirror. My brown hair was adorned with a red headband, joined with the blue mask that showed my eyes. I was wearing a turtle neck tank top that was form fitting at the top, and became loose at the bottom. It was purple that faded into green that faded into blue that faded into red. Black leggings with a gray pouch around my right thigh, and light gray boots. White fingerless gloves covered up to my elbows.

I walked out to show the three men.

Green Arrow grinned, "Now you're looking like a true hero!"

"All of this outfit is made with a special fabric that won't be damaged while your throwing rocks or fireballs around," Helga added.

I frowned. I wouldn't be throwing any fireballs.

"She needs an identity," Batman said, peering at me through his cowl.

We stood there for at least fifteen minutes, rejecting all the ideas that were thought up.

"Why don't we call me Element?" I said, irritated with the debate. All the adults stopped bickering and stared at me.

"You want to be called Element?" Batman asked. I nodded.

"Alright, Element, take the costume off," Helga asked. I reluctantly took it off, because I felt superior in it. Not that I'd ever say that.

Helga sewed in a yellow "E" within a orange circle, and sewed the patch onto the right side of the chest.

"Ok, Lexi. Our work here is done," Batman said when I rejoined them.

"Hey, Element, it was really nice to meet you," Green Arrow said, shaking my hand.

Flash followed suit, "Yeah. See you on the street sometime! Drop by if you're ever in Central City!"

Helga gave me a fierce hug, "It was an honor making your identity, Lexi. You're always welcomed here."

I said my last goodbyes and followed Bats out of the garage; I was holding my new costume in a special package. We got into the Batmoblie and proceeded to drive away.

We got to my house when the sun was finished setting.

"Lexi, I noticed no one else is here. Do you live alone?" Batman asked.

I nodded as I inserted the key into the lock.

"Have you ever considered moving?"

"No," I said, an edge creeping in my voice, "I could never leave this house. Besides, I don't have the money nor the energy to move."

"Lexi, what happened to your family?" Batman suddenly had genuine concern in his words.

"My sister ran away when I was nine. My parents died when I was ten," I refused to elaborate.

"And you're fourteen?"

I nodded.

"That's awfully young to be living alone," He commented.

I opened the door and stepped through it, "I manage," I shut the door.

Mira, my husky, can running down the hallway.

"Hey, Mira! Missed you!" I ruffled her head, and walked upstairs to my room.

I sat crossed legged on my bed, and Mira jumped up beside me. I carefully unwrapped the package and stared at my new persona. How could I let things go this way? All I wanted was to live out my days peacefully and unnoticed. And, without my consent, I'm suddenly a superhero?

With a sigh, I shook my head. It just didn't make sense, but I didn't want to ruin something made especially for me. I walked to my closet and gingerly hung up the pieces in the back. I placed the headband, mask, and pouch in a drawer by my bed.

After all, when was I going to need them?


	2. Chapter 2: The Team

It was Saturday morning, the perfect day for humanity. It's a day where everyone can sleep in til noon and not care about appearances.

Whistling, I walked out of my house to get the mail. It was a beautiful day, the sky blue and the sun shining. Normally I would feel silly going outside with my pink fluffy slippers and dark blue pants, but, like I said, it's Saturday.

I grabbed the hand full of mail and returned to my home, where I sat down at the kitchen table.

"Junk, junk, junk, junk," I shifted through the bills, solicitors, and etcetera.

"Oooo, what's this?" I peered at a fancy letter with my name on it. Not hesitating to preserve the details, I carelessly ripped open the envelope. In it was letter and a small piece of paper. The letter read:

Dear Miss Alexandra Cross:

We have been observing your academic progress over the last few weeks, and we are very pleased with the results. On the recommendations of your peers, teachers, and with your astounding grades, we are proud to offer you a full scholarship to Gotham Academy. Please send the acceptance form attached to this letter with your answer. We are looking forward to seeing you at our great school.

The Dean of Gotham Academy,

Phillip Wilcox

I stared at the letter, and stared, and stared. Then it sank in.

"WOOOHOOOO!" I jumped up from my chair and danced in happiness. Mira approved with a bark.

In my joy, I kissed the letter, "FINALLY! All those late nights studying! Putting up with those idiot teachers! Those mean students! My hard work finally paid off, and now I'm going to the most high-class school in Gotham!"

I sat down again, shaking with excitement. I had to make myself clam down so I could check the yes box on the acceptance form. I put it in a separate envelope, and sealed it.

Sighing with a smile on my face, I turned back to my mail. More junk, and an ad for new condos in Gotham. Those went straight into the trash can.

My phone blared loudly, making me jump. I looked at the caller ID.

"Batman?"

"Lexi," He acknowledged.

"I'm guessing you didn't call me to exchange pleasantries, huh?"

"I need you to provide over watch on-"

I cut him off, "Batman, you know what I said. You're not exactly abiding on what we agreed on."

His voice was cold, "I need you to help me on a mission. And I am playing by your rules, Lexi. I'm confronting a villain, which can become highly dangerous. I need you to come along and watch so nothing goes wrong."

"And if something does?"

"You fight."

"Easier said than done," I told him.

"Be at the top of Gotham Towers in an hour. No excuses." Click. End call.

I fumed at my phone. Why does he think he commands me? I only do this because I can! Not because he asked me to!

"Stupid Batman, thinks he controls everything," I muttered while dragging my feet up the stairs.

I looked at the uniform hanging in the back of my closet. Should I really do it? What would happen if I don't? What if I got hurt? What if Batman got hurt again? What if I got _killed?_

_Stop freaking yourself out!_ I mentally slapped myself. Whether I wanted to or not, I had to don this costume and help Batman.

I quickly put the uniform on and slipped the mask over my eyes, surveying myself in the mirror. I wasn't Lexi anymore, but Element, a crime-fighter that was new to the streets.

"This will work out well," I sarcastically said.

Mira barked, and I smiled, "I guess I do look different. But that's the point. I think.."

Gotham Towers, or anywhere, really, is far away because I can't drive yet. That meant I had to ride my bike all the way there. Well at least I'll get some exercise.

I opened the door to the garage, and Mira whined.

"Sorry Mir, can't take you with me," I patted her head, "I wish I could though. You'd give those bad guys a scare!"

I exited the house and went into the garage. I wheeled out my dark red bike and swung my leg over it. Good thing I had enough sense to buy a new one last year. How silly would it look for a hero to arrive on a light blue seashell bike? Heck, how silly would it look for a hero to arrive on a bike, period?

_I'll stash it somewhere,_ I thought with a shrug. I pushed on one of the petals and started riding out towards Gotham Towers.

The sun was just beginning to set when I finally arrived on the site of Gotham Towers. Batman was no where to tell me where to stake out.

"Great," I hissed, and looked upward. Where would Batman take care of things? I need to pick a place where I could see him.

_Think, Lexi! _Batman would probably would do his work in an enclosed space where no one could sneak up on him. Wait, wasn't there a fenced courtyard out back?

"I'm a genius!" I said, and jogged out to the courtyard.

Sure enough, there was Batman, poised in the shadows. I saw his eyes shift under his cowl. With the slightest movement, he pointed a ledge high up above us.

I flashed him a thumbs up and proceeded to climb it. As soon as I hoisted myself up to the first hand hold, my dismay grew large. This ledge was seriously high up!

"And they wonder why I failed pull-ups," I murmured as my arms shook with the next grip.

With a grunt, I lifted my body onto the ledge. I gasped at the view. I could see the whole courtyard, plus a few fifty miles. I had to give Bats credit. He thought of the perfect place. If anything went wrong, I could jump down to the rescue. Or just deal with them from up here. I mean, why get my hands dirty while I could hit them with rocks? But I'm fairly sure nothing would go wrong and I wouldn't have to do anything.

The sun sank behind the horizon, and the lights turned on in Gotham Towers.

The overhang above me shadowed the ledge I was perched on, so I was safe. I watched carefully as Batman stepped out of his hiding place.

I was intently watching for any signs of trouble, but that didn't mean I was alert to my surroundings. A sound that was like a sword being pulled out of his sheath came from behind me, and I turned swiftly around.

I held my hands in front of my chest, ready to defend myself. A shuriken like object came whizzing at me, and I barely dodged it. I sent a blast of air in the direction of the shuriken, and I heard a grunt as the body made contact with the floor.

"Move and I'll freeze you!" I hissed, hold a strand of water in front of me. The person came close to me, so I dropped the water and aimed a punch at what I believed to be their face. A hand grabbed my wrist and twisted my arm behind my back.

"That. Hurts!" I said through clenched teeth and splashed water into the person's body with my free hand. I froze it, and the person used another shuriken to break free.

The person swung at my ankles, making me fall. It stepped into what little light was shining when I struggled to my feet.

First I saw it's raven colored hair, then the domino mask, then the "R" on the uniform.

"R-Robin?" I stuttered.

"How good of you to know my name," He said flatly.

"Oh my god. I attacked _the_ Boy Wonder!" I held my head in my hands, "Bats is gonna kill me!"

"Wait a minute, Bats? Batman sent you here?" Robin asked, crossing his arms and looking a bit pouty.

"Yes. He sent me to watch him confront an enemy to make sure nothing went wrong."

"Why would he send you on my mission?"

"Your mission?!" I poked a finger on his chest, "You may be the Boy Wonder, but this _my _mission. Bats called me personally to send me here."

"I bet your temper has gotten you in trouble more than once," Robin grinned as he brushed away my finger.

"Cocky, much?" I muttered and turned away from him

"I have the experience," Robin murmured in my ear. I bit down on my lip to prevent the heat rushing to my cheeks.

"You're really annoying," I told him.

"I get that a lot," His grinned widened.

"How old are you?" I asked, not taking my eyes off of Batman, who was punching someone in the gut.

"Thirteen," He turned his attention to Batman also.

"Should we help him?"

"Let's wait a little bit," Robin cautioned.

"So, now you're the expert in everything?" I glared at him.

"And I say again: I have the experience."

"Is there anything you can't do?" I asked, slightly joking.

He smiled widely, "Hmm, nope!"

I rolled my eyes as the Boy Wonder continued his surveillance.

"Gotcha, we'll be right down," Robin pressed his finger to his ear.

"Batman says to meet him down there," Without further explanation, Robin took out a grappling gun and swung down to the courtyard to where Bats was standing alone.

I bit my lip in frustration, "Like mentor, like apprentice."

Moving my hand upwards, the ground in the courtyard shook, then rose into a column of rock. I stepped onto the column, and lowered the rock down to where both Bat and Bird were standing.

"So I see you've been introduced to each other," Batman said as soon as my foot hit solid ground.

"We got off to a rocky start," Robin smiled.

"More like a frozen start," I said, and he laughed.

"But Bats, why did you send Robin here when I was doing fine?" I asked.

"Just in case you did something stupid."

I took a step back, "You don't trust me?"

Silence.

"Of course not. I knew this was a mistake! I should've never let you talk me into this!" I turned on my heel and ran away.

I ran over to where I hid my bike, and rode away furiously. Tears flowed down from my cheeks, yet I didn't know why. I never wanted this in the first place, yet I still did it. Is there a part of me that actually wanted to be a superhero?

I really felt like my sister now, running away when things got tough. Of course, she really went through with it, while I was just running away from my problems. But, eventually they will come back to bite in the butt.

I slammed the door shut and ran up the steps, cursing as I hit my knee on the side table in the hallway. I ran into my room and peeled off my mask. Angrily, I slammed it, along with the pouch and headband, into the drawer where they were previously held. Then I took off my uniform and jabbed into the way back of my closet so I could see it. Out of sight, out of mind.

Putting on my comforting pajamas, a red silk long sleeved shirt with matching pants, I sat on my bed, curling my knees to my chest. I glared at the closet containing the costume and all it meant.

Stupid Batman. Stupid Robin. Stupid large man who made me save Batman. I just wanted to start anew from what happened to me. But of course I have to be the hero and get caught up with Bats and his birdbrain of a protégé.

_Don't think about them, Lexi. _I told myself. There would be no more superheroing stuff in my house. That was a promise.

June and July passed by really fast. I aced all my final exams and spent the Fourth of July at Rina's, who was a good friend of mine. I spent my summer just doing what I always do: dancing, swimming, going outside, just being a regular kid. It was what I always wanted, and I didn't think about that costume, or Bats, once.

Until Bats called.

"Batman?" I answered questionably into my phone. I was lounging outside on a patio chair, putting processed, squeezable cheese onto Ritz crackers.

"Hello, Lexi."

"What do you want?" I heard an edge creep into my voice.

"To apologize," He caught me so off guard that I choked on my cracker.

"W-What?" I sputtered, wiping the cheese off my mouth.

"I'm sorry, Lexi, for making you do something you didn't want to do. I pushed you, when you clearly were uncomfortable. And sorry for sending Robin to watch you. I was being paranoid." A sigh on his end.

"That's something I'd never expect from you."

"Don't get used to it," He retorted. Then a pause, a cough.

I raised an eyebrow, even if he couldn't see it, "What's the catch?"

"You see, Lexi. Robin and other sidekicks have formed a group called Young Justice, a team to operate on the sly of the Justice League. I really believe that you would be a great addition to this team."

I found myself slowly shaking my head, "I don't know Bats. It's just too early to push the responsibilities. School starts in a month."

A long pause then followed. Why does he pause so many times? Isn't Batman _known_ for his bluntness?

"I'm asking you to really consider this offer, Lexi."

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm sorry Bats. I really am," I told him.

"Of course you are," He said, curt. Then he hung up.

I stared at my phone for a while, then slowly pressed the 'End' button. I leaned back into my chair and closed my eyes.

I wasn't really thinking about Batman's offer. I decided not to let it bother me. But it was.

I opened my eyes, and dialed a number on my phone.

"Hello?"

"Bats? I'm in."

"Today is August 18th, right?" I asked Bats as we stood in front of a phone booth. We were in a random alley somewhere in Gotham City, both dressed in our uniforms. Well, I've never seen Batman as a regular citizen, but he has to have an alias, right?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?" Batman opened the door.

"Just wondering," I said, entering and crossing my arms.

"RECOGNIZED: BATMAN 02. RECOGNIZED: GUEST" A electronic voice, like the one at Helga's, said. There was a flash of blue light, and suddenly I was standing in a hangar type room with a wide floor and a holographic computer. Behind me were things that looked like roller coaster entrances.

"Zeta-tubes," Batman told me.

There were six teens standing in front of the computer, but as soon as they heard the voice, they all turned.

Four were boys, and two were girls. One girl had blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail and was wearing green; the other had reddish-brown hair and a cape. This girl was green and was floating.

"A green floating girl? Now I've seen everything," I said under my breath.

"She's a Martian," Batman hissed, equally low.

Pity there was only two girls. But this place did seem very clean even though four males inhabited it.

The first boy was very tall and muscular. He had short black hair and very light blue eyes, which I felt could look into my soul. He had a black shirt with a red 'S' on the front. The next guy was dark skinned, and had platinum hair with eyes to match. He had tattoos on his arms and fins on his ankles.

"Atlantean," Bats said before I could say anything.

The third boy was dressed in a yellow top and red pants. A mask went over his face, but showed his green eyes and red hair.

The last one had black hair and a domino mask with…. Wait, that was Robin!

"YOU?" He and I said at the same time, pointing at each other. He stalked up to Batman and I.

"What is _he_ doing here?" I asked, while Robin cried, "What is _she_ doing here?"

"You both are going to be working together," Batman sternly said, glaring at both of us.

"This is going to be fun," I rolled my eyes with sarcasm as Robin threw up his hands.

"I'll let you get acquainted to your new teammates," Batman said, walked into the zeta-tubes and disappearing.

"Hi!" I turned and saw the Martian flying toward me. She landed and clapped her hands together, "It's so great to have another girl on the team! We'll be just like sisters!"

"Not counting he thirteen you already have. Including me," said the blonde girl, smiling slightly. She stuck out her hand, "I'm Artemis."

I shook it, and the Martian slapped her forehead, "Hello, Megan! My name's M'gann M'orzz. Or Megan Morse when we're out of the Cave. Or Miss Martian when we're on missions," She turned and waved to the boys, "Come on guys, meet our new teammate!"

All of a sudden there was a blur, and the redhead was next to me, "Hello, beautiful. I'm Wally. See, I already trust you with my secret identity," He grinned and threw his arm around me.

I shrugged it off, feeling slightly uncomfortable, "You're a bit sociable," I examined his outfit, "Kid Flash, right? Seen you on the news."

Wally threw his hands towards the sky in a hallelujah pose.

"People get his name wrong all the time. Isn't that right, Flash Jr.?" Artemis teased. He just glared at her.

"It's very nice to meet you," said the Atlantean, "My name is Kaldur'ahm, but all my friends call me Kaldur. I am also Aqualad, protégé to my mentor and king, Aquaman."

"Yeah, yeah. I guess I should say that my name's Superboy and also Conner Kent and also welcome," the muscular one said.

"I can't believe you, of all people, are my teammate," Robin chocked out.

"You've met before?" M'gann asked.

"He sabotaged my mission."

Robin flashed back, "I was helping your mission!"

Before I could make a reply, Wally stepped between us.

"Why don't we stop talking to Mr. No-One-Knows-My-Secret-Identity, and focus more on you."

"Yes! Please show us what you can do!" M'gann excitedly jumped up and down.

"Uhm, don't we need your name?" Artemis asked.

"Hello, Megan! I forgot to ask!"

All five of them were crowding me, asking me my name, my powers, what was my favorite type of cookie-

Wait, what?!

"Uhm. My name is Lexi. I control all four basic elements, which is why my alias is Element, and uh, chocolate chip."

"Please, demonstrate your powers!" M'gann stepped back a little. I decided she was the most talkative one, but her cheeriness was…pleasant, in a way.

I felt nervous showing off my powers in front of these experienced heroes, but it's not any different from a dance competition, right?

I focused all my energy on the one spot in the middle of everybody. Slowly the ground shook, and rose into a large rock. I set it gently on the ground. I moved my hand in a large circle above my head, collecting the water particles into one long stream of water. A sharp jerk downward, and the water slashed the rock into three pieces.

"Maybe you could get better with training. And lots of it," Robin scoffed and turned, clearly done with me.

I opened my hand in his direction, and a gust of wind messed up his hair. Robin turned with an irritated expression crossing his features.

I grinned, "Maybe I need to work on my aim a little?"

"Oh you'll fit in just fine," Artemis said.

"Come on, let's give you a tour!" M'gann started floating in the direction of a hallway. The others followed her lead.

"Lexi," I was stopped by Kaldur; he had a warm smile on his face, "welcome to the team."


	3. Chapter 3: Do you believe in Fate?

**This chapter is a little short, sorry! ^^;; **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything except Lexi!**

* * *

><p>Superboy and Kaldur faced off each other in the training center. The muscular clone let out a roar as he charged toward Kaldur with a punch, who swiftly blocked and aimed one of his own.<p>

Artemis, M'gann, Wally and I were standing off to the side, watching the training sequence and talking about random things. This was the first time I saw Artemis without her cowl on, and the first time I showed them my face. Artemis looked pretty good with her jacket and high heeled boots, and Megan looked like a Earthling with her skirt and headband, except she was still green. Wally didn't look too different with civilian clothes, but it still needed to sink in that heroes were normal people too. I was wearing a dark purple dress with a black chocker and heels.

"Kaldur's uh, nice, don't cha think?" Artemis asked M'gann, "Handsome, commanding. You should totally ask him out."

"He's like a big brother to me! But you know who would make the cutest couple? You and Wally!"

We all glanced at the speedster, who was munching on a wrap.

"You're so full of passion, and he's so full of…uhh.."

"It?" Artemis suggested.

We all laughed.

"Lexi, you'd be perfect with Robin," M'gann added to me.

I rolled my eyes, "As if! He's more annoying than he is sly. I wouldn't go out with him even if you _paid_ me!"

"FAIL: AQUALAD," The computer said as Kaldur was thrown to the ground.

"Black Canary taught me that," Superboy smirked while dusting off his hands.

Just then, Red Tornado entered…from the roof?

"Do you have a mission for us?" Wally asked, running up to the machine.

"Mission assignments are The Batman's responsibility," Red Tornado explained.

"Yeah but The Batman is with The Robin doing the Dynamic Duo thing in Gotham, but you're headed somewhere, right? Hot date, or a mission?" Wally asked.

"If we can be of help," Kaldur added.

Red Tornado turned and brought up an image of an old man, "This is Kent Nelson, a friend. He is 106 years old."

"The guy doesn't look a day over ninety," Wally whispered to Artemis

"And he has been missing for twenty-three days. Kent was a charter member of the Justice Society," The screen changed into a man with a yellow helmet and cape, "The precursor to your mentors' Justice League."

"Of course!" Kaldur said, "Nelson was Earth's sorcerer supreme. He was Doctor Fate!"

"Pfft, More like Doctor Fake. The guy knows a little advanced science and Dumbledoors it up to scare the bad guys and impress the babes," Wally whispered to me this time.

"Kent may simply be on one of his…'walk abouts', but he is caretaker to the Helmet of Fate, the source of the Doctor's mystic might, and it is unwise to leave such power unguarded."

"He's like the great sorcerer priests and priestesses of Mars. I would be honored to help find him," M'gann solemnly said.

Wally's hand shot straight up, "Me too!" We all turned to look at him skeptically, "So honored, I can barely stand it. Magic rocks!" Artemis rolled her eyes.

"Take this," Red Tornado held out a mysterious key, "It is the key to the Tower of Fate," Kaldur took it.

"What are the chances that we both so admire the mystic arts?" Wally asked M'gann.

* * *

><p>In no time, we were in this ship thing, which M'gann calls her 'Bio-ship'. The thing molted into a seat, and when I sat down, a seatbelt covered me.<p>

"Is it…alive?" I asked, staring at the controls in front of me.

"Of course! How else could it change into camouflage mode?" M'gann answered, and at her call, the ship blended into its surroundings.

"That's so cool!" I exclaimed.

"So, Wally, when did you first realize your _honest _affinity for sorcery?" asked Artemis.

"Well, I don't like to brag, but before I became Kid Flash, I seriously considered becoming a wizard myself." Cue the flirty look at M'gann.

I coughed, and Artemis rolled her eyes scornfully.

"We've reached Tornado's coordinates, but," M'gann started.

"Nothing's there," Superboy finished.

"Take us down," Kaldur commanded, and M'gann directed the Bio-ship to land.

We all searched for the so called 'Tower of Fate', but there was nothing. Wally made it a point to run around the whole area.

"Nothing. This isn't simple camouflage," He announced when he came back.

"So, whaddya think? Adaptive mirco opto electronics combined with phanse-shifting?" Artemis offered.

"Heh, absolutely….not!" Wally added as M'gann walked next to him, "Clearly mystic powers are at work here."

"Of course, Wally," I retorted.

"A test of faith," Kaldur said, looking at the key Red Tornado gave him, "Stand behind me." He walked forward a little, then inserted the key into open air.

All of a sudden, a huge brick structure appeared, as if by magic. Kaldur opened the door, and we walked through.

"Uh, where'd the door go?" Superboy asked. We were in a room with no locks or doors, seemingly trapped.

A hologram of Doctor Fate appeared, and no one looked startled, so I hid my own fright at its sudden appearance.

"Greetings, you've entered with the key, but the tower does not recognize you. Please state your purpose and intent."

"We are true believers here to find Doctor Fate!" Wally said before anyone could stop him.

The hologram looked at him for a moment, then disappeared. The ground then shook, and crumbled away as we fell into a lava pit. I moved my left hand backwards in a jerky motion, and a rock ledge grew out of the side, providing me a handhold. M'gann grabbed Wally, and Artemis shot her crossbow, saving herself and Kaldur. Superboy grabbed the wall of the pit, and slowed himself down, but his feet plunged into the lava, burning off his shoes.

"Those were my favorite boots," He muttered, "This Nelson guy better be worth it."

"Having trouble…maintaining altitude," M'gann gasped, wiping the sweat off her forehead, "I'm so hot."

"You're certainly are," Wally commented.

"WALLY!" Artemis scolded him.

"Hey! Inches above sizzling death, I'm entitled to speak my mind!" Wally argued.

"My fizzyology, and M'gann's, are susceptible to extreme heat. We must climb out, quickly!" Kaldur said.

"Hello, Megan!" M'gann breathed, "We never truly answered the question!" She raised her voice, "Red Tornado sent us to see if Mr. Nelson and the Helmet were safe!"

The lava beneath Superboy's feet closed into the regular floor. He let go, and stepped onto the not burning floor. M'gann and Wally dropped to their knees, while Artemis retracted the crossbow so she and Kaldur could get down.

Since I was so far up, and created ledges, one a little beneath the one before, so that they resembled stairs. I ran to where my friends were.

"You know, I could've helped you all," I said as Wally and M'gann rose to their feet.

"This platform, it should be red hot, but it is cool to the touch," Kaldur bent to feel the ground.

"Don't worry, Megalicious, I got cha," Wally put his arm around M'gann, completely ignoring me.

"ENOUGH!" Artemis slammed Wally into the wall, "Your little 'Impress-Megan-At-All-Costs' game nearly got us all barbequed!"

"When did this become my fault?" Wally yelled back.

"When you lied to that…whatever it was, and called yourself a 'true believer'!"

"Wally… you don't believe?" M'gann asked quietly.

"Fine, fine! I lied about believing in magic! But magic is a real lie, a major load!" He crossed his arm, defensive.

Kaldur added quietly, "Wally, I studied for a year at the Conservatory of Sorcery in Atlantis. The mystic arts created the skin icons that power my water bearers."

"Dude, you ever heard of bioelectricity? Hey, in primitive cultures fire was considered magical too! Today, it's all just a bunch of tricks!"

"You're pretty close-minded for a guy who can break the sound barrier in his sneakers," Artemis accused.

"That's science! I recreated Flash's laboratory experiment and here I am! Everything can be explained by science."

"Powers _can_ be created by science," I added quietly.

"You're sticking up for him?" Artemis rounded on me.

"Of course not! Sure, there are things that can't be explained, but sometimes science is the explanation!" At that moment, I wished I never spoken.

"See? A person who actually agrees with me!"

"I never said that!" I flashed back at him.

"Let us test your theory," Kaldur said to Wally, and opened a door in the middle of the floor we were standing on.

"Wait, the back draft from the lava will roast us alive!" Wally started, but stopped talking when the door revealed a snowy landscape behind it.

"It's snow!" M'gann said happily.

"Do you ever get tired of being wrong?" Artemis coyly asked to a pouting Wally.

We all jumped through the door, and as soon as the last person was through, the door vanished, leaving us in the cold.

"Well?" Artemis pressed Wally. Was she going a bit too far with this?

"Ever hear of string theory? We're in a pocket dimension."

"Augh!" Artemis replied.

"What's that?" I asked pointing to a floating cane, right in the middle of a barren snowstorm.

"Ooo, maybe it's Nelson's magic wand," Wally said sarcastically.

He and Artemis reached for the wand at the same time.

"I got it," They said at the same time, but then couldn't release their hands.

"I can't let go!" Wally and Artemis floated up into the air, and then disappeared.

Without Wally or Artemis, we continued to walk in a random direction, hoping it was the one that would lead us to Kent Nelson and the Helmet of Fate.

"I don't understand Wally," M'gann confessed, "It's almost like he needs to believe the impossible can't happen."

"Wally uses his understanding of science to control what he cannot comprehend. Acknowledging the existence of magic would be to relinquish the the last vestige of the control," Kaldur explained.

"He doesn't have to be so mean about it. But then again, it's like Artemis _wants _a reaction from him, so she teases him a bit too harshly," I shook my head, "It's like toying with a dog's food. You'll eventually get bitten."

We all heard a creak, and looked over to our right. Oh look, another random doorway on the top of a mountain. We turning our direction without missing a beat.

And that doorway didn't have a floor, so Superboy, Kaldur, and I fell right through. I aimed my palms down and shot a gust of wind to slow my descend, but the boys weren't so lucky. M'gann just floated through.

"Friends of yours?" asked an old man to Wally, which I guessed was Kent Nelson, who just in time dodged a blue beam aimed at him.

"Friends of _yours_?" Wally asked back while guiding Mr. Nelson to safety.

Kent Nelson banged on the huge bell, and entered it with Wally. A boy with weird looking hair and a cat followed suit.

I stared disbelieving at the bell, now seemingly normal, "Ok, I may believe in magic, but I will NEVER understand it!"

A tall man shot more blue electric beams at us, capturing Artemis, Superboy, and Kaldur.

I picked up a rock from the ground and hurled it at the man, but he sidestepped it and sent a blue beam in my direction, capturing me. I screamed as the electricity coursed through my body.

M'gann was calling Wally telepathically, but was shot down too, and fell with a scream.

Just as the tall man was about to deliever the finishing bow, a yellow cross appeared behind him, and stripped him down to his underwear.

Ok something I totally did not need to see!

Superboy broke his net and punched the man in the face. We all discovered our nets were broken too, and struggled to our feet.

The fight was over. Whatever Wally did while he was with Doctor Fate, it worked, and we went back to Mount Justice.

* * *

><p>Wally went into a room with the Helmet of Fate, and Artemis followed. Though I badly wanted to know what they were talking about, curiosity killed the cat. More like Fate killed the cat, as Wally described it<p>

Artemis stalked out of the room, irritated.

"What was it this time?" I asked her as she passed, but no reply.

"Hey Lexi!" I turned, "Guess who got us two tickets a magic show?"


	4. Chapter 4: You're annoying

**So, I've decided to write up another chapter since I had nothing better to do.**

**I own nothing but Lexi, and Mandy.**

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><p>Bleh. Being covered in clay is disgusting, but I dare not remove any of the sticky stuff that is on me, or I'd end up like my friends. On the floor.<p>

Clayface spit out a glob of clay that hit both Aqualad and I. I hit the floor with a heavy thump, and Aqualad smashed into a storage door. My eyelids began to feel heavy, and the last thing I see is the glass ceiling shattering, a bat flying in to the rescue.

"Element, you ok?" A voice cuts through my tormented dreams. There was fire, everywhere, and I couldn't escape it.

My eyes open in a flash, "What?" I asked, sitting up.

"You got knocked out like the rest of us, but you looked totally in pain. Did Clayface hurt you badly? 'Cause if he did, I swear he will never see the light of day," That was Kid Flash, looking down at me with a concerned look.

"I'm fine," I almost snarl at him, ignoring his offer to help me up.

"If you're sure then," KF looked skeptical, but then ran to catch up with the others, who had already disappeared back into The Cave.

"I need to talk to Aqualad. The rest of you, hit the showers and head home," Batman instructed, his voice tight with anger.

"Head home? I am home," Superboy replied.

"Just Aqualad," Batman growled as Robin lingered.

* * *

><p>I don't know what happens to my friends after the missions are over. I guess they do the same as me. Get showered, go home, and sleep. Maybe exercise? Eat? I don't know.<p>

But I was feeling so much like a failure that after I got home, I changed out of my uniform and into some blue shorts and a green shirt, and headed to the dance studio.

Ms. Mandy's Dance Academy isn't far from my house. A short five minute bike ride on sidewalks and various streets. The building was a bit old, but Mandy recently paid to get a new sign. Now it was purple and pink letters with ballet slippers intertwined with tap shoes.

I caught Mandy just as she was locking up the door. Mandy was a young woman with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She's probably my favorite adult, since she's been with me since my parents died. She's almost like a mom to me…_almost._

"Oh, Lexi!" She cried when I rode up beside her, "You missed your lesson! I was so worried about you!"

I offered a slight smile, "I'm here now, but I know that's no excuse. I was hoping I could practice now?"

Mandy stared at me, "You sure? It's late.."

I checked my watch, "It's only eight fifteen."

"Ok then, make sure you lock the door when you leave. You know where everything is," She threw me the spare set of keys, then proceeded to walk towards her car.

"Hey Lex, you sure you're ok? Because I can tell when you're upset."

"I'm fine," I whispered, and pushed open the door.

As soon as my foot hit the wood floor I felt better. This place, this atmosphere, this where I felt I belonged. The place I called home. There was nobody to interrupt me, nobody to tell me I failed. It was just me and the music.

I placed my water and bag on the ground, and went over to the cd rack, looking for the one had held my routine song.

"Ahah!" I cried in triumph when I found it. I walked quickly over to the small desk in the corner that held the cd player, the only thing in the whole dance floor. Mandy's computer in the other room provided a steady hum in the quiet, but soon ended as I stuck the cd in and pressed play.

I ran to the middle of the floor, and struck the starting pose: right foot out, pointed, hands in front of chest. The cd player started the song, quietly then building up volume

**Step one, you say we need to talk.**

Slide right foot towards left, knee popped.

**He walks, you say sit down, it's just a talk.**

Arms out to the side, spin, bringing them down.

**He smiles politely back at you, you stare politely right on through.**

Left foot behind right, right arm up.

**Some sort of a window to your right.**

Spin back to face mirror, SMILE!

**As he goes left and you stay right.**

Leap to the left, 360 spin, bring arms overhead.

**Between the lines of fear and blame.**

Lean to the right, hand in front of face, other arm out.

**You begin to wonder why you came.**

Pop right hip while bringing right hand down. Repeat.

**Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend.**

Right foot behind left, spin and shift left. Look left, hand covering face.

**Somewhere along in the bitterness.**

Bring right leg up, kick with left.

"AUGH!" I let out a cry as my foot dragged unexpectedly on the polished floor. I fell forward, and braced myself on my hands.

"You stupid idiot!" I yelled at myself, "You shouldn't have done that!"

I got to my feet, struck with a sudden pang of weariness. The music kept playing, and I tried to pick up, but lost my place. Angry, I ran over the cd player and jabbed the 'stop' button. The studio was filled the hum of the computer once more.

"So, this is what you do when you're not bothering me," I turned to see Robin standing in the doorway. Only he wasn't wearing his uniform, just a black jacket over a green shirt with jeans. Black sunglasses replaced his mask.

"What are you doing here? Wait, scratch that, how did you find me?"

"You're looking at a detective second only to Batman," Robin smiled his cocky smile.

"Ever heard of Sherlock Holmes?" I asked.

"He's only in stories. I'm the real thing," He scoffed.

"Which leads to my original question: What are you doing here?"

He taunted, "What, I can't see how our newest member spends her time?"

"No," I glared at him, "You can't. Don't you have someone else to annoy? Wally, maybe?"

"Wally is celebrating a birthday in Central City. You're the closet person, so I decided to say hi."

"I don't need you to interrupt my personal life. You're annoying enough as my teammate."

Robin faked a hurt look on his face, "Oh, man. Did you hear that? That was my heart breaking with your harsh words."

I took the cd out of the player, "Get. Out."

"Nah. I'm comfortable here. Besides, I like watching you dance."

I couldn't stop the heat from rising to my cheeks, "Too bad your not going to," I commented.

"What? Don't let me stop you from doing what you love," Robin appeared to be genuine.

I offered a small smile, "So, the great detective figured out one of my hobbies. Good for you."

"Hey, just trying to get underneath your skin, trying to see who you really are."

"That's quite hypocritical, dontcha think? You want to find out who I am, but you've never told me your name, much less what color your eyes are," I gestured to his sunglasses.

"Batman instructed me not to reveal my identity," He argued, "That's way different."

"Is it Robin? Is it really?" I asked quietly, then walked over to the cd stack. I found the one empty slot and returned the cd to its home.

"Yes it is. Really."

I stuck out my tongue in his direction.

He rolled his eyes, "Real mature Lexi."

I shrugged, "When in doubt, stick out your tongue."

"And you call me young," He remarked.

"I never called you 'young', just annoying. Which you are."

Robin mused, "Ah, that must be your default saying."

"Maybe to you. I like everyone else on The Team."

I swore I saw his face fall, but he retained his happy manor so quickly I thought I imagined it, "I like everyone on The Team too. They're great heroes and awesome friends."

"Except me?" I dared to ask.

"'You're annoying'," He quoted my 'default saying'.

"Heh, you can't be perfect." We were facing each other on the dance floor, now that I had nothing to do.

"I wonder what the others are doing," I said. Anything to stop this awkward pause, and to forget the conversation about us.

"Well, like I told you, Wally's celebrating in Central City.."

I added, "Kaldur's most likely in Atlantis. Or some other sea city."

"Superboy and M'gann are back in the cave."

"And Artemis…?"

The Boy Wonder shrugged, "No idea where she goes or what she does."

"She doesn't share anything about her life."

"Neither do you," Robin pointed out.

I didn't reply, just shifted uncomfortably with the focus on me.

"Now, tell me the real reason why you're here. And don't tell me it's because you like my dancing," I demanded.

"Bats wanted me to get you. We're due for a mission."

I grinned, "Finally, something to do!" I walked over to my bag, unzipped it, and took out my uniform. I guess evil could happen everywhere.

Robin had a serious look of discomfort on his face.

"Relax, idiot. I'm going into the changing room," I told him, irritated. And he calls _me _immature.

I headed into the hallway in which Mandy's office was in, and went into the changing room across from it. When I came back to the dance floor, Robin was in his uniform.

"How did you…..?" I trailed off, but then shook my head, "Never mind. Let's just go to the cave."

"Where would you put your stuff?" He pointed to my bag, which was on the floor still.

"Uh.. Wait here," I went into Mandy's office, and got a piece of paper and a pen. On it I wrote:

_Mandy, sorry about leaving my stuff here. Something came up. Promise I'll pick it up later!_

_Love,_

_Lexi_

_P.S. I still have the spare keys. I'll drop them off later too!_

I placed the note on my bag, and with Robin, exited the dance studio. I locked the front door and stashed the keys in my pouch, glad to have a place to put them. Now, I racked my brain for a way to get to The Cave quickly. The telephone booth was a good half hour away by walking, and there wasn't room for Robin on my bike.

"Hellooo? Earth to Element!" Robin snapped a finger in my face. I blinked and saw him standing next to a motorcycle.

"I'm not getting on that thing with you," I muttered.

"Excuse me?"

"Uh, I said, where will I put my bike?" I reworded, because I'd never hear the end of it if Robin heard that last part.

"Here," Robin took my bike, and placed it upright against a wall, hidden by bushes, "Problem solved. Get on," He handed me a helmet and put his own on.

I swung my leg over the seat of the bike, and wrapped my arms around Robin's waist. I guess this would be cute. If I actually liked him. Which I. DO. NOT.

It took less than ten minutes to reach the alley where the phone booth was.

"After you," Robin opened the door for me. I brushed past without a word.

"RECOGNIZED: ELEMENT B08. RECOGNIZED: ROBIN B01" The computer announced our entrance.

I saw everyone in their uniforms walking over to Batman. Robin and I did the same.

"Good. You're all here. The Watch Tower detected an immense power surge in the Bialyian Desert."

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry it's a bit shorter than usual ^^; and sorry for anything spellinggrammar errors I've made as well**

**How To Save A Life (c) The Fray**


	5. Chapter 5: Forgotten ones

**I had to figure out how to approach this episode, and quite frankly, it wasn't working for me at first. But I think I got it, and turned it into a beautiful chapter! I apologize for any errors in advance, and I don't own anything!**

**P.S. I will be skipping the episode, "Targets" because no matter which angle I try to write it from, I can't seem to incorporate Lexi into it.**

**I don't own anything!**

* * *

><p>"Hey, beautiful, wake up," A soothing voice reached my ear. I opened my eyes and saw a boy standing in front of me. He had orange hair and green eyes; his face covered by a black mask. I groaned and sat up quickly, causing my head to hurt. The boy smiled at me, and I panicked. I scrambled to my feet and against the wall, my hands in front of me, ready to strike when needed.<p>

"Hey, it's ok, it's ok! I won't hurt you. I'm one of the good guys!" The kid stood up and pointed to himself, "You know, Kid Flash!"

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Kid Flash? I've seen him before, but he doesn't wear black."

Kid Flash examined his clothing, "Uh, a little unclear on that myself. What about you? You certainly have the look of a hero, but I've never seen you before."

I looked at my own clothing, which was a gray, long tank top, and black pants, "I don't remember putting this on," I touched my face and felt a mask!

"Does the 'E' stand for something?"

"Uh, I don't know."

"Do you have any idea why we're here?" asked the hero.

I thought about it, then quickly became angry, "He probably did this! Another stupid test! Of course, I knew he would keep an eye on me, even after I quit!"

"Woah, woah! Who are you talking about?"

"That doesn't matter, but-" I was stopped by a noise that was getting louder. Without warning, Kid Flash grabbed my hand and we ran out of the warehouse that we were in. The warehouse exploded and the shockwave blew us off our feet.

We looked back and saw that, in the distance, there were army tanks, their guns trained on us. We both got to our feet and started running, while behind us someone shouted something in a language I couldn't understand.

The tanks were advancing on us fast, so I turned and released boulders that were perched on the cliff above. They slammed down on the tank with a large crash. I ducked behind a rock wall, and did the process again.

In no more than a few seconds, I felt myself being lifted off the ground and traveling away from the tanks at blinding speed.

"Sorry! They have bigger rocks!" Kid Flash apologized.

"I doubt that," I replied, but wrapped my arms around his neck to prevent myself from falling. He dodged all the bombs that were being hurled at us.

"…Thanks," I reluctantly said as a bomb missed him by a finger's width.

"Hey, I told you! Good guy. Now, not to pry, but what's your name? and who's this guy you were talking about?"

I refused to answer his questions.

After running a while longer, Kid Flash finally set me down against a huge cliff.

"Are you ok?" I asked as he doubled over, and started panting like a dog.

"Sorry, running on empty. Don't think I've eaten in a while," He opened a compartment in his wrist, "Been out here for over twenty-four hours, or my food supply wouldn't be bare."

I was just about to reply, when something landed, with a large bang, in between us, making me scream.

It was a shirtless boy with black hair. He backhanded Kid Flash, sending him into a nearby rock wall. He turned towards me, ready to strike at anything he could reach.

Remembering my training, I jumped out of the way, and sent a blast of air towards his torso. It made him stagger back just a tiny bit, but no way this human machine was down. I sent another blast, and another, but when the boy still raged toward me, I had to roll out of the way.

Out of nowhere, a bomb landed at the boy's feet, hurting him and picking me off my feet. The boy screamed, and I felt a touch of pity in my heart. No one should scream like that.

Tanks were coming quickly, and as I struggled to get up, I saw the boy jump over me and face the tanks head on. The boy landed on the tank, and with a shout, ripped the gun right off the tank! A soldier from inside appeared and started shooting bullets, but they bounced harmlessly off the boy's chest, and he appeared to feel nothing.

_This boy's invincible? _I thought, stretching my eyes wide. I watched as the boy pulled the gun from the man's hand, then grabbed the _man, _and throw him out of the tank. He then took the top off of the tank….with this bare hands. The boy was shot off the damaged tank by the other tank next to it. The boy went flying, and hit the side of the hill. He quickly got up and turned, rage distorting his features. The invincible boy jumped from the hill to the other tank, and began to take it apart.

"Who's side is he on?" I whispered to Kid Flash.

"You wanna stick around and find out?" He asked me. I shook my head no, and he picked me up again, and we sped far away from the boy, his screams of rage echoing behind us.

Kid Flash was running down a hill. Way too fast. I was about to tell him to slow down, when his foot hit and rock and I went flying from his grasp. We both tumbled down the rest of the way, and came to a bumpy stop. But we were far from safe, as the shadows of two planes passed over us.

The planes flew into a loop and came back around, shooting guns at us.

"Get down!" Kid Flash commanded, and I hit the ground so hard I'd be washing dust out of my hair for a week.

I picked a rock out of the ground, and before I sent it crashing into one of the planes, a voice echoed in my head.

_Don't worry! I'm almost there! _I gasped and lost my focus, which caused the rock to smash into the ground right where I picked it up.

"Did you just hear a girl talking in your head?" I asked Kid Flash.

The hero gave me a weird look, "Girls are always on my mind…..But they're not usually talking."

We looked back up to the planes, only to see a flying green girl smash them together. The girl floated down in front of us, a large smile on her lips.

"Well, J'onn, the costume looks…familiar. But I'm not sure the new bod screams 'man hunter'," Kid Flash said.

"You know my uncle J'onn?" The girl asked excitedly, "Hello Megan! Of course you do! You're Kid Flash! Wally! And you're Element, Lexi!"

"Wait, wait, wait, Martian Manhunter's your uncle? Is that how you know my name?"

I turned to him, "Your name's really Wally?"

"Awww," He hung his head in defeat.

"It's ok, we're teammates! Friends! I made you cookies!" The alien girl exclaimed.

"You know her?" I narrowed my eyes.

"No, no, I swear, beautiful, never seen her before in my life! At least, not until-"

The girl sighed, cutting him off, "You both lost your memories too," She glanced back to where a huge cloud of smoke was rising from the Earth. "Come on, I'll fill you in as we go. Robin and Superboy need our help."

I followed her as she walked away, and Kid Flash said, "Of course, Robin and Super..what now?"

We walked for miles, and I watched the sky get dark. I must admit, amongst all the crazy things that happened, I was happy to be here and see the beautiful sunset. But that peace I felt didn't last long. When it got dark out, we heard some shouting, and ran in that direction.

Smoke obscured our view, but we heard shouts and saw guns, and occasionally people, being thrown out of the smoke.

Kid Flash took the opportunity of the smoke, and ran past us. The smoke cleared just before he ran down there, so we saw him grab all the soldiers' guns and kick butt.

The Martian girl and I ran down there as well, so all four of us were fighting. I say four because I saw another boy, who looked about thirteen, and was extremely attractive, but I couldn't think about that now. I shot rock after rock at the never-ending group of soldiers. As one was trying to run away, a green colored arrow was shot and wrapped the soldier's legs in some kind of net. We all looked up and saw a blonde girl wearing green that was standing on a nearby hill. She carefully made her way towards us.

"KF! Man, it's good to see a familiar face!" The attractive boy clasped hands with Kid Flash.

"Hey Rob! Memory loss?"

"Six months! Let's hog tie these creeps and compare notes." We didn't need orders, we just did the task ourselves, binding all the soldiers so tight, they'd go numb before long. The Martian took the time to explain things to us.

"So, we're a team?" asked the boy, who's name was Robin.

"The five of us and Superboy," said the Martian, who introduced herself as Miss Martian.

"So this must be his!" Robin held out a piece of black clothing with a red 'S' on it.

Miss M took it, "Yes! Did you see him?"

"I think we did," I turned to Kid Flash.

"Farrow boy? Some teammate. He attacked us!"

"He didn't know who we are," I pointed out, "I don't know who we are!"

"I remember Batman ordering radio silence. Our team must work for him!"

"How do you know we don't work for _my _mentor?" Kid Flash asked, touching the symbol on his chest. In a flash, his costume went from black to yellow.

"Woah!" He exclaimed, touching it again, "This is so cool!" And he touched it again. I touched the 'E' on my chest, and found out that the gray tank top turned into one that had red, blue, green, and purple on it. Fearing my loud colors would draw people to us, I tapped it again, turning my outfit gray once more.

Artemis and Robin touched their symbols, but nothing happened. I guess their uniform colors were subdued enough not to have a darker variation.

"We look ridiculous!" Artemis complained, then snapped at Kid Flash, "Quit touching yourself! We need our memories back!"

My surroundings faded into some kind of purple matrix, and everywhere I looked, there were screens playing clips of us.

"I brought you into my mind to share what I have remembered so far. But I need your help. Together, our broken memories can form a whole…..if you open your minds to mine," Miss Martian said, appearing and wearing a hood around her head.

Instantly, I threw up walls around my thoughts as I was trained to do, "No way! I don't want you, or anyone else, knowing about what I think about. The thoughts that are only meant for me!"

Artemis also appeared appalled, "You want to paw through our priviate thoughts?"

"I have no wish to intrude, but-"

"You need to hack our minds to figure out what happened to us. Got it. Go!" Robin said.

"My brain's all yours. Try not to let its brilliance overwhelm you," Kid Flash purred, and I mused that he was a true player.

"Or under whelm you. Hey, why isn't anyone ever just, whelmed?" Robin asked no one in particular. He received no answer.

I said nothing, but thought it over. I felt a hand slip into mine, and I looked up to see Robin having a mischievous grin on his face.

I sighed, "Alright."

"Last six months, only. And only what you need," Artemis added.

Miss Martian nodded, and closed her eyes. Four blue arms emerged from her being and touched all of our heads. In an instant, images began flooding through my closed eyelids like a movie.

Seeing Batman being beaten.

Saving Batman.

Meeting Helga, Flash, and Green Arrow.

Getting in the Batmoblie.

Trying on my uniform.

"How about you all call me Element?"

Scaling Gotham Towers.

Fighting Robin.

Running away.

Batman apologizing.

Meeting the Team.

Hanging from a rocky cliff in the Tower of Fate.

Being trapped in a blue electric net.

Being smashed into the floor by Clayface.

Robin leaning in the doorway of the dance studio.

"The watch tower detected an immense power surge in the Bialyian Desert. Spectral analysis revealed elements non-terrestrial in origin. Find out what happened at that site. What landed there. Bialya is a rogue state ruled by Queen Bee, and not a member of the League's UN charter. All communication are subject to interception. Maintain radio silence at all times," Batman instructed.

"You'll land in Qurac, on Bialya's border. Two clicks from the hot zone."

"All clear!" Cut to all of us standing there, Superboy unloading the machine from the Bio-ship.

"The Bialyians control the site," said Artemis, as she and Robin spied on the tent the Bialyians were guarding.

"Set up here," Aqualad commanded, as Superboy dropped the machine and turned it on.

"We'll be up and running in no time," Robin said, hacking into the machine.

"Jackpot! The site's filled with zeta beam radiation!" Kid Flash cried.

"Detected non-terrestrial elements from the tent."

"I'll check it out in camouflage mode," Miss Martian volunteered.

"Good idea. Go," Aqualad told her.

"Careful," Superboy said, while Aqualad reminded her to "Maintain telepathic contact."

"I will, Aqualad," Miss M promised.

We all opened our eyes in a snap, and shouted, "Aqualad!"

"Where is he? What happened next?" Robin asked.

"I don't know! That's the last thing I-we-remember!" Miss Martian exclaimed.

I realized that Robin was still holding my hand, so I jerked it away, and turned from him with a disgusted snort.

"We landed twenty-four hours ago. If Kaldur's been wandering the desert that long, well, that's not good for a guy with gills," Kid Flash said.

"Now that I know to look for him," Robin pulled up his map of Bialya, "He's close! But he's not moving!" We followed him in the direction that would lead us to Aqualad.

We finally found him behind a rocky face, but he was barely conscious, not to mention speaking in Atlantian. Poor guy, he kept mumbling about someone named Tula..

"I can't restore his memories in this condition," Miss Martian said.

"He needs immediate re-hydration. Call the Bio-ship!" Robin told Miss Martian.

"It's out of range, but you can get him there fast," She turned to Kid Flash.

"He's too heavy, and I'm too low on fuel. Right now, I couldn't even carry her," He pointed to Artemis.

She scoffed and brushed his finger away, "Why not just levitate him back?"

"I can't! I have to find Superboy. Six months ago, he didn't even _exist. _He has no memories, just animal impulse. I'm the only one who can help him."

"Superboy's indestructible, just ask those tanks. It's Aqualad who needs your help, like now," Kid Flash said.

Miss Martian held her head for a moment, then said, "No! Superboy's in pain!" And she flew away, with Artemis calling after her.

"We still don't know what erased our memories!" Robin shouted, "It could happen again!" Then he sighed.

We all stood, staring at our friend, clueless on how to help him.

"Why haven't you done anything?" Robin turned on me.

I raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

"You can control water! Why haven't you helped him yet?" He yelled.

"In case you haven't noticed, the air is completely dry! There's not enough water to help a flower, much less a human!" I retorted.

"You still could try!"

"Enough!" Artemis stepped in between us, "Arguing isn't going to help anything!"

"We need to get Aqualad back to the ship!" Kid Flash reminded us.

"Hey, I got an idea," I said. I made them construct a makeshift stretcher, and gently laid Aqualad on it. I raised the ground underneath it, and gave it a little push. The ground moved smoothly, and Aqualad seemed to be unaffected by the shift in movement.

"Hold him steady," I told Artemis and Kid Flash, then nodded to Robin, "Whenever you're ready."

He started walking at once, following the locator on his map. Artemis and Kid Flash went next, each having their hands on the poles of the stretcher, and I took up the rear, to watch the ground and Aqualad. I guess it's not very smart to put myself in the most vulnerable position while I'm concentrating really hard on Aqualad, but that can't be helped. I trust that my teammates would keep a good lookout for me.

"Quick! Over there!" Robin pointed, and I guided Aqualad behind a hill, just before a patrol truck came whizzing by.

Kaldur continued to speak Atlantian, which led Artemis to put a hand over his forehead.

"Shh, Kaldur, quiet now."

"We can't risk a firefight with Aqualad KO'd like this," Robin stated.

"It's not just him, I'm way out of juice," Kid Flash gasped.

"And I'm almost out of arrows," Artemis added.

"I lost more weight than I ever thought possible," I sighed, then noticed Robin wasn't there.

We all looked around, and Kid Flash groaned, "I forgot how much I hate it when he does the ninja thing," He turned to me, "Hey, you never told me who this guy was and why he would put us in a test."

I sharply turned my head from him, "That was from a show. I forgot I saw it the night before we came here."

"I highly doubt that," He teased, while Artemis said, "I completely forgot how truly annoying you are."

"Oh, so you're goddess of congeniality?" Kid Flash shot back.

"Yeesh!" We all turned and saw Robin sitting there, "Get a room!"

"Dude! Where were you?" Kid Flash asked.

Robin put on that irritating grin of his, "Breaking radio silence."

As if on cue, Robin's stupid laugh sounded from somewhere away from us. A second later, the ground shook with a bomb and smoke filled the area.

"That's our cue! Move!" Robin commanded. I raised the ground once again, and we ran from our hiding place.

It was hard work, but we eventually got Aqualad back to the Bio-ship, and hooked him up to a re-hydrating machine. I collapsed into one of the chairs, exhausted.

"Hey Lexi," I looked up and saw Kid Flash smiling at me, "You're quick thinking saved Aqualad."

"Yeah," Artemis cut in, "We'll make sure he knows it!"

_Hey everybody! I got Superboy and we're on our way! _Miss Martian said happily in our minds.

"Who are you? And how did you get inside my head?" Kaldur sprang up, and Artemis had to push him back down.

_Hello Megan! Aquald's memories! I knew I forgot something!_

_Aw man! _Kid Flash cut in, _Me too! I didn't get a souvenir from the mission! _

_Don't worry, got the souvenir thing covered._ Miss Martian assured him. I wonder what she meant.


	6. Chapter 6: Afraid of Fire

**Since CN has started airing Young Justice again, I really gotta bust my butt and catch up! XD**

**I don't own anything but Lexi!**

* * *

><p>I tugged on my skirt uncomfortably, wishing it to be longer. Why did the grls at Gotham Academy wear such short skirts?<p>

"Alexandra? I'm Bette, your new student liaison. Welcome to Gotham Academy!" A girl with curly blonde hair and blue eyes introduced herself. She had my outfit on, but then again, so did everyone else.

I smiled, "Thanks. And, I'd like to be called Lexi please."

I turned as I felt a hand on my shoulder. A boy with slicked back black hair and pretty blue eyes held up a phone and snapped a picture.

"We'll laugh about this someday," He said, a goofy grin on his face. In a flash, he was gone again.

"Uh, who was that?" I asked Bette.

"Another freshman, ignore him," Bette rolled her eyes and led me into the building. My first day at Gotham Academy was officially starting!

* * *

><p>When the sun came down, I headed to the phone booth, pressing my mask to my face.<p>

"Hey, Lexi!" I jumped and turned. Robin was grinning right next to the phone booth.

"Jeez, Robin! Give me a heart attack, will you?" I cried.

"Sorry. I couldn't resist the opportunity.

"Yeah, let's just go to the Cave," I crossed my arms.

Robin did a dramatic bow, "Ladies first."

"Just go," I said. Robin shrugged, then pushed open the door.

"RECOGNIZED: ROBIN B01. RECOGNIZED: ELEMENT B08"

As soon as I entered the Cave, the heat hit me like a ton of bricks.

"Look out!" Robin's voice commanded as a blast of fire came towards me. I dodged just before it could burn me to a crisp. I brought up a wall of rock, and hid behind it.

_Oh no, not again. Please, don't let anyone die! _I thought while bracing my head between my hands.

"What are you doing? Why aren't you fighting?" Robin slid in beside me.

"Who are we fighting?" I asked instead of answering.

"Don't know, but we're sitting ducks by these tubes. Head for the exit!" We broke cover and ran away from the fire blasts. But that made no difference, as a huge wave of water blocked our way.

"Or not," Robin commented, and we were swept off our feet. I mentally punched myself. I could've stopped this wave! But, instead I let it almost drown us.

We both got up, and a fireball hit where we were just seconds before. I picked u a rock, shot in the direction of the fireball, and hoped for the best.

One of the fireballs exploded into a fire tornado, and it followed us into the exercise room.

"Robin to team, come in! Aqualad!"

_M'gann, can you hear me? Are you there? _I asked over telepathy. No answer.

The fire broke through the door and knocked us on our faces. We ran into the showers, while Robin barked orders into his earpiece.

I raised my hands at the shower heads, and water started pouring out.

"Comm is down. Locked. At least the water's helping." The water started gushing out at a uncontrollable rate; not by my doing.

"Or not," Robin glared at me as the water rose over our heads. I knew I could save us from drowning, but for how long?

I concentrated, and spread my arms out wide. The water parted down the middle and gathered at the sides, leaving a small path for Robin. He took the opportunity and placed an explosive on the wall, blowing a hole through the tile. I let go of the water as it flowed through the opening. We jumped through the hole, and ran to the kitchen.

"We need to get lost," Robin stated.

"The air vent!" I exclaimed.

"Good, go!" I ran and jumped on the stove, taking the cover off the opening. Robin wasn't following, but fiddling with a panel on the wall.

"What are you-"

"Downloading Cave blueprints. Could come in… Go, go!" I climbed up the unit, Robin following.

"Go left," He told me, and turned just as a wave of fire swept through the vent.

"Too close! Take the first right, there should be a vent cover right in front of you." I found it, took it off, and slid down the adjacent vent. We landed in a room full of machines.

"This way," Robin check his map, and we ran down the stairs. An explosion sounded on the panel above us, and our attacker was consumed in fire. It raised the inferno into the ceiling. Robin and I jumped off the platform, and hid behind some machines. I had to keep myself from bursting into tears, as I haven't been this close to fire since that dreadful day.

The machines' bars raised all the way to red, and beeped loudly.

"That's not good," Robin said. We ran as the machines shorted. The fire controller saw us and started shooting at us again, but we hid behind another set of machines.

"I know that other access tunnel is here somewhere!" I saw it, and opened the hatch, "You mean this one?" I asked, and dropped into another tunnel.

"Hold on," Robin said, and pried open a control box, "Locking out Cave's motion and heat sensors to prevent the enemy from tracking us."

"And I ask again, who is the enemy?"

"Let's find out. Downloading the Cave's security footage," Robin brought up videos on his computer, "There!"

We watched Wally work on Robin's motorcycle, and the others were conversing.

"Dork wrench," M'gann levitated the tool to Wally, "Thank you, Green Cheeks."

"I have been meaning to ask, any problems juggling schoolwork with your responsibilities here?" Kaldur asked.

"Nope," Conner answered, while Artemis shook her head.

"Juggling is just one of my many talents. Socket wrench," Wally said.

"Dealing with cheerleading practice has presented a challenge, oh, but my first loyalty is always to the Team. This team, not the Bumblebees," M'gann explained.

"Lexi starts school today. Do you think she will have trouble maintaining her loyalties?" I narrowed my eyes. I saved Kaldur's life, and this is how he repays me?

"Nah. My beauty can handle herself," Wally defended me.

A sudden explosion, then the camera's static.

"What happened?" I asked,

"Explosion took out the camera. I'll find another angle," Robin tapped some keys and we watched as our friends rushed into battle, when camera after camera was taken out.

"That's it. All five of them are dead," Robin murmured, and I shot him an appalled look, "The cameras! I meant the cameras! I'm sure the others are ok. Just gimme a sec to find the fastest route to the hanger."

I shook my head, "Of course they're fine. They are heroes. They can handle anything."

* * *

><p>Robin opened a panel, and we jumped down onto stairs.<p>

"There's a secret passage behind one of these bookcases," He said as we jumped over the rail.

"That's not clichéd at all," I replied sarcastically.

"You should see the Batcave," Robin muttered.

We heard the door slid open, and we assumed defensive positions. Robin guided me behind a bookcase, and we waited as we heard heavy footsteps echo around the room.

"Element, Robin."

"It's Red Tornado!" I exclaimed, rushing out to greet him. But the android in front of me was not Tornado. Just as it lashed out to grab me, Robin pushed me under the table.

"Yes on the Red, no on the Tornado!" Robin grabbed my hand, and we ran. As we neared the exit, another, more feminine, android blocked the way. She raised her hands, and we nearly escaped the fire.

"Who..what are they?" I asked as we jumped on top of the bookcases. Robin jumped down one of them, while I sent a whip of water at the two intruders. The male one blocked it with water of his own, The female knocked down the bookcases like dominos.

Robin found the right book just as the last bookcase toppled over. We both ran down the passage, happy to have a moment's relief.

"Did you know Tornado had _siblings?_" I asked the Boy Wonder.

"No…" Just as he turned a corner, I reached out and grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

"So now what? Red Tornado is one of the powerhouses of the team! How are we supposed to take down TWO of them?"

"They do seem pretty user unfriendly."

"Don't joke! They-"

"Attention Robin. Attention Element. You have exactly ten minutes to surrender, or the lives of your teammates will be extinguished," The android's voice sounded over our heads, meaning the threat.

We took off running down the hallway.

"We can access the hangar from here," Robin said, but we turned as another huge wave engulfed the hallway.

"Or not."

"Will you please stop saying that?" I snapped, and the water hit us. Robin put a breather in his mouth, grabbed my wrist, and placed it in mine. I felt something wrap around my ankle pulling me down, and I reached out both of my hands, accidentally freezing all the water….and us. I panicked inside my mind, since my body couldn't move.

_Think, Lexi. You froze the water, you can unfreeze it._

I released a steam of warm air from my nostrils, and the water around me instantly unfroze. I wiggled my ankle out of the android's grasp, made my way to Robin, and unfroze him as well. But, the android shared my power, and he unfroze all the water. Robin took out a shuriken, and smashed it in the robot's face, giving us a second to escape.

Robin wrapped his arm around my waist and shot his hook with the other, taking us up. We hit the surface, and gasped the sweet air.

"Tell me when you're gonna do that again," Robin said flatly.

"Look out!" We both dove under to dodge a fireball, and swam over to Kid Flash, Artemis, and Superboy, who were all trapped in something melted.

"You guys ok?" Robin asked.

"Forget us, help M'gann!" Superboy motioned to a cage of fire above us, which held the Martian and Aqualad.

_What about Aqualad? _I thought, but had good sense to keep my mouth shut.

"Aqualad! Is she-"

"She is unconscious. I fear she-we- cannot survive much longer," He replied.

The female android shot another stream of fire at us, so we dove under water again. We resurfaced at the stairs, and climbed up. The male android emerged from the water, while the female was at the top of the steps. I motioned, and the water formed an icicle, aimed at the female.

"Distract her, now!" I launched the icicle, and It hit her dead on, but no damage was received, She shot a large blast of fire, and the male shot a gush of water. We jumped off the steps into the water, and swam through a manhole in the rock cliff. We hit air again, and climbed into another tunnel. We both paused for a breather, as the robot announced six minutes.

"What do we do now?" I asked.

"We save them. That's how it works."

"Maybe that's how it's _supposed_ to work, but those robots already took out our five powerful friends!"

Robin smirked, "You seem distraught."

"DISTRAUGHT? M'gann is dying! We're all gonna die! OF COURSE I'M DISTRAUGHT!"

"Well get traught, or get dead!" Robin replied, angrier than I have ever seen him.

"How can you be so calm?" I asked as we started moving again.

"Practice. I've been doing this since I was nine," I stared at his back, surprised. But I recovered quickly enough to say, "What good is that now? What chance do we have against unrelenting machines?"

Robin stopped, "Oh, duh! They're machines. And one electromagnetic pulse will shut down any machine within range."

"Great! Expect you better have an EMP mitter in your utility belt, because I know I can't make one out of rock."

"I'm fresh out, but I'm betting we could make one. What do you say, KF? Doable?"

I heard the speedster's voice through Robin's earpiece, "Totally doable! You know, f you had more time."

"Five minutes."

* * *

><p>We made our way into the medical lab. I just followed Robin as he followed Kid Flash's instructions. We walked over to the x-ray machine, and Robin took out his USB cord, and plugged it in, then took a strange looking tube out.<p>

"A ripple effect! Like dropping a stone in a pond!" He suddenly exclaimed, and I didn't hear Kid's reply.

"So I'll need to hook it up to the Cave's main generator."

"Which is where?" I asked.

Turns out, the main generator was back out there, back with the robots. We had to be super stealthy.

"Ok, make with the distraction," Robin said, and Kid Flash's voice rang out, followed by Superboy's.

"Cover me," Robin placed a hook, and I drew a large bubble in front of me. The male android saw Robin, and unleashed a wave.

"Robin, look out!" I cried, frantic, but it was too late, he was carried off his feet. Before I could do anything, a fireball was shot at my head, scaring me senseless. I fled back up the way we came, just avoiding a huge inferno.

I peered through a hole in the wall, and was Robin being lifted out of the water. He was knocked out.

I gasped, and curled up into a ball. My fear of resurfaced, and I started crying. This while thing reopened the never healed wounds of my parents' death. I couldn't save them, and I can't save my friends. I was weak. Not fit to be a superhero at all.

"I have to get out. Out of the Cave. Out of the mountain," I told myself as I started crawling, tears still streaming down my face. My hand slipped, and I slid down the rest of the way, landing on my stomach in Kid Flash's souvenir room.

"Oh, who am I kidding? I'll just die like the rest of them. No hope of the League finding us." My eyes trailed over the souvenirs. Wait, didn't Robin say he needed something metal? That arrow had a metal tip! I got to my feet and grabbed it, a plan forming in my head.

* * *

><p>I approached the androids, hands out. I could feel the arrow digging into my leg, but I ignored it.<p>

"I surrender. Stop the clock," The robots turned towards me, the male had his hand out to grab me. I didn't let him, and jumped onto the thing's hand. The female tried to burn me, but I stepped on her face, back flipped, and threw the arrow in the direction of the generator. I directed its course with a gust of wind. There was a few heart stopping seconds as I watched it sail through the air. If it missed, I failed, and we all died right then and there. But, thankfully, that didn't happen. The arrow connected with the EMP mitter, creating a pulse. The robots shook and fell to the ground, shut down. The water level fell and the fire cage disappeared.

"Kaldur, how's M'gann?" Superboy asked.

"She breathes. I believe she will recover. What of Robin?" He didn't need to ask, as I dropped to the floor beside him. I drew out the water from his mouth, and he coughed.

"He's breathing too!" Anything that happened between Robin and I disappeared, if only for that moment.

He smiled at me, "Way to get traught."

* * *

><p>"Figured my only shot was to 'surrender'. Pretend to drown before I actually did. Blacked out though," Robin was saying.<p>

"M'gann," Superboy said, taking her hand.

"I'll be fine," She replied weakly. I assessed the material that held the three of them. It was made of metal, but I couldn't bend the earth particles in It because they were melted.

Red Tornado decided to show up, "What had occurred?" He asked.

"Had a little visit from your family," Robin explained.

"You're extremely nasty family," I added.

"I was not aware I had relations," Red Tornado went to check.

"Where have you been?" Superboy asked accusingly.

"Monitor duty on the Watch Tower. When it became clear Cave communications were down, I attempted to investigate, but your zeta-tubes were also nonfunctional. I transported to Province, and proceeded here," He stooped over his look-alikes. The sphere from Bialya dislodged itself from the wall.

"Hey, boy," Superboy greeted it.

"The pulse's worn off!" Kid Flash and Robin exclaimed at the same time.

Red Tornado turned and used his powers, sucking the air from the place. I grasped at my throat as my lungs screamed for air.

"Can't breathe!" The last thing I saw was Robin hitting the floor, and I blacked out

* * *

><p>"Element, Element can you hear me?" I opened my eyes and saw Superman standing over me.<p>

"He's alright," He said, and helped me up. All of the mentors were there, checking up on their apprentices.

"What happened here?" The superhero asked.

"What happened? The Reds happened! Tornado and his-" I looked around, "Wait, where are they?"

"Gone," Robin replied, "All three of them. Gone."


	7. Chapter 7: Betrayal from within

**Edit: Fixed some errors!**

**This chapter was so fun to write! And I would like to take the time to thank all who reviewed and who keep reviewing, and to those who read in general! Seriously, I cannot thank you all enough! And to address some things:**

**Batmanfan2400: I'm sorry it appears that way to you. If you have any ideas on how to make the story feel less 'rushed', don't hesitate to contact me! :)**

**and knightmare1986: Even though I have already layed out the whole plot for the story, I'll try my best to fit in your idea. Thank you for the great suggestion and review!**

**P.S. There was some French in this episode, and since I'm not French in any way, shape, or form, please excuse my errors in the language. And any other errors, too!**

**Sorry for the long author's note! Let's get on with the show!**

* * *

><p>The rebuilding of the Cave had begun. The Green Lanterns were fixing the damaged property, while Martian Manhunter and Captain Atom were rebooting the Cave's security system.<p>

Green Arrow set a bowl of pretzels down on the table, where all of us were sitting.

"Thanks, but no thanks," Wally told him.

"Yeah, what we want are answers! About Red Tornado and his siblings!" Robin added,

"Exactly!" Green Arrow proceeded to take the bowl away, but Wally wanted to keep it. Kaldur was talking to Bats about something we couldn't hear. We'll most of us anyway.

All of a sudden, Conner sprang up in anger, "You knew!" He pinned Kaldur to the wall.

"Conner, what are you doing?" M'gann flew over.

"Kaldur knew we had a traitor among us and said nothing!"

"You knew?" Robin repeated, while Wally said, "And you didn't tell us?"

"I sought to protect the Team from-"

"Protect us from what? Knowledge that might've saved our lives?" Artemis snapped at him.

"You almost died!" Conner told M'gann. As if she didn't know that already.

"Enough," Bats instructed, and Conner let go of Kaldur.

"With Red Tornado missing, the Team will now be overseen by rotating supervisors. Captain Marvel has volunteered to take the first shift."

A very muscular man with a white cape smiled, "I'm really looking forward to hanging with you guys!"

"Once I dismantle Red Tornado, you and I are gonna-"

Batman cut off the clone, "Red Tornado is a member of the Justice League, which makes him a League responsibility," He turned to the computer, "I have another assignment for this team." A newspaper about Gotham's mayor appeared.

"Gotham mayor attacked by Guerilla Gorilla?" Kid Flash read disbelievingly.

_Is this the only thing he could find to distract us? _Conner asked mentally.

"Batman, please! Tell me you're not sending us on this joke of a wild ape chase!" Robin cried.

Batman's eyes narrowed, "I _never _joke about the mission." That shut the birdbrain up, "I've checked the sources, I've studied the patterns. Mayor Hills' encounter is only the latest in a series of incidents. Aqualad, you and your team will depart for India and check this out."

The others didn't take that statement kindly.

"Heh. Your team," Wally scoffed as he and the others walked away.

I didn't want to leave our leader hanging, "Kaldur, I-"

"Lexi, let's go!" I cast a exasperated look at the Atlantian, then ran after our friends.

"You're coming with?" Robin asked Captain Marvel.

"Sure! We'll have a blast!" Captain Marvel said, then walked into the Bio-ship. Robin and Wally lingered, still talking. I was too far away to hear it, but Wally's reply was nasty. I just wished they wouldn't act this way. He was only trying to save us! Couldn't they see that?

* * *

><p>It was dark when we arrived in India. Not surprising, since it was on the other side of the world. The Bio-ship let off Robin and Artemis first, to let them check the area. Then it dropped off all of us.<p>

"All clear!" Robin reported.

"Switch to stealth," Aqualad instructed. We touched our symbols and our uniforms darkened.

"We will review mission parameters."

"Parameters? We don't need no stinkin' parameters!" Was Kid Flash determined to argue with everything Aqualad did or said?

"It's recon. We know what to do," Robin added coldly.

"Kid, Robin-"

"We started this team because the Justice League was keeping secrets from us."

"Or did you forget that, just like you forgot to tell us about the mole? Come on, Element," Kid Flash turned to me.

"What?" I asked, but the speedster already grabbed my hand, dragging me away from the others, Robin following. I twisted my head and mouthed 'I'm sorry!' to Aqualad. He didn't acknowledge it, but I think he saw.

* * *

><p>We walked through the dense jungle, stepping over roots and ducking under leafy branches. I had a bad feeling that we were being followed, but I ignored it. After all, who would follow us in a creepy jungle like this one?<p>

Turns out, birds would follow us. Giant, man eating vultures, with sharp claws that descended on us.

"I thought vultures only ate dead meat!" Robin cried, throwing a batarang.

"Yeah, some very proactive scavengers!" Kid Flash yelled back.

"Proactive and super sized! You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"They ate something bad?" I offered.

"Nah, Kobra Venom," Kid Flash told both of us.

"Yeah!" They dodged another set of claws, but I wasn't so lucky. The edge of a talon snagged on my shirt, and I staggered, only to have my foot trip on a root. The beast took the advantage, and wrapped its claws around my ribcage, then took flight. Its massive wings drowned out all noises as it soared way above the ground.

"Burn it, Element, burn it!" Kid Flash called from below.

"I-I can't!" I choked out. I blew a gust of air at it, but it only seemed to worsen my condition. Getting frustrated and scared, I raised one of my arms, and the ground, even from here, moved at my command. A large rock rose into the sky, and I smashed it upon the vulture's head. It cried out in pain, and detached its claws from my torso.

I felt relieved, only to panic when I realized I was falling from hundreds of feet! Forgetting that I had powers, I screamed, but before I hit the ground, I felt arms catch me.

"I got cha," Robin said, but I was shaking too hard to reply. He set me on the ground gingerly, then ran to fight. Kid Flash had turned himself into a human cannonball and shot himself, taking out one of the vultures. Robin took out another with a few of his exploding disks. Thankfully, there were no others.

_Link established, _Miss Martian's voice danced in my head.

_Should he really still be giving orders? And should you really be following them? _Artemis's cold voice cut through like a claw.

_Listen please-_

_Oh good, Aqualad's voice in my head. I so missed that,_ Kid Flash rolled his eyes at us.

_Hey Kaldur! KF, E, and I were attacked by giant vultures. Of course, since we're moles, you probably think we attacked ourselves._

_Lexi almost died! _The redhead added, his body tensing.

_If he did, he wouldn't tell you, _Artemis responded to Robin.

_Superboy, are you online, or just pouting?_

_Busy, call back later, _There were no more words from him.

_What gets me was how nonchalant he is about not telling us._

_He should be chalant. Very chalant. Extremely chalant! _That was Robin.

_How can we be a team if he doesn't trust us with his secrets?_

_Or if Conner doesn't trust us to take care of ourselves. _Was Superboy the only thing Miss Martian thought about?

_Did he really think you or I could really be the mole? _Kid Flash asked Robin.

_We've known each other for years!_

_Trust is a two way street!_

_And you know they'd hate it-"_

I got so angry with the negative thoughts, that I turned and punched a hole into a tree. Robin and Kid Flash stared at me in shock. My knuckles split and blood flowed, staining my glove, but I ignored it.

_ENOUGH! _The thoughts ceased. _Kaldur did what he did to protect us, or all you that stupid to realize that? I expected better of you. All of you. _I gave a pointed look to my two companions. _I don't know about you, but I still think Kaldur is the perfect leader for this team. I will always fight by his side. And if you have a problem with that, you can quit._

I think I shocked them all into silence.

_Thank you, Lexi. I am most humbled by your words. _Aqualad said, but turned serious, _Captain Marvel has been captured, and we must act as a team to save him._

_Under your leadership, I don't- _I stared at the green eyed hero with my own wide. Did my speech do nothing?

_This is not up for debate! You all chose me to lead. When the mission is over, if you wish to select a new leader, I will happily step down. But until that time, I am in command here. _No more words from Kaldur. I think he was the one who really shocked us all

* * *

><p>We all met up again, and found an old foundation deep in the forest. Kid Flash checked out the place on his goggles.<p>

_I'll fly over, _Miss Martian offered.

_Negative, the fueling stands is acting like a dome over the whole compound, _He warned her.

_Pylons are insulated, but one good shot could cause a momentary gap! _Robin mused.

Artemis took aim, _I see a target._

_Then be ready to hit it, _Aqualad told the archer, then told the whole team to be ready.

The dark skinned teen leaped from his hiding place and faced the dome, spreading it so a gap was large enough for Artemis's arrow.

_NOW! _Kid Flash ordered, since he was the only one who could see the hole. We watched as the arrow sailed right onto the target, disabling the force field. We all advanced through, but was stopped by a terrible screech.

Alarms sounded, and monkeys jumped from the roof. We were on high alert now. I gathered a huge amount of water and shot it at a monkey, then freezing the particles. It dropped with a thud.

"Remove their collars!" Aqualad told us. I unfroze the monkey's neck, took the collar off, and unfroze its whole being. It ran away without another glance. I threw a small rock at the collar of another, and that one ran away too.

Just then, a door opened, and out came a gorilla…wearing a hat and carrying a machine gun. Well, I guess I've had crazier days.

It turned, and grabbed an invisible Miss Martian. It threw her to floor, and she wasn't so invisible anymore.

"Get your paws off her, you darn dirty ape!" Kid Flash ran at the beast full speed, but just bounced off. Miss M got up, and sent the gorilla flying through the wall, breaking it.

We rushed in and saw a brain in a container. Ok, definitely weird.

"It's The Brain!" Kid Flash cried.

"Uh, I can see it's a brain," Artemis replied sarcastically. Do they ever stop?

"Not a brain. _The _brain!"

"In the flesh…so to speak," The freaky thing had a French accent, and it turned to the gorilla, "Mallah."

The ape pressed a button on a controller, and weird stand looking things came out of the ground. They emitted a blue pulse, and I was on the floor, paralyzed from the neck down. My team wasn't any better, them being sprawled across the floor.

_Miss Martian, Superboy, now! _Kaldur commanded.

Miss M's eyes glowed, and the controller was whisked out of the gorilla-Mallah's- hand. It floated towards her, and she deactivated the pulse, leaving us fully functional again.

The wall behind Mallah broke, and there was Superboy, and behind him was a giant snow-white wolf. It snarled hatefully at The Brain, then sprang, jumping on Mallah's back. That was our cue to take action. Each of us hit Mallah with everything we had, Miss Martian even levitated it, smashing it to the ground. Artemis and Robin shot explosives, making the animal lose its gun.

We all cornered the two, and when Aqualad freed Captain Marvel, and in turn freed a tiger, there were even more of us.

Mallah roared a challenge, which Superboy rebuked, claiming he hated monkeys.

"No, Mallah. This will not be our waterloo. Au revoir, mesa me!" The Brain had all these gadgets on him, and was charging.

"Get down!" Kid Flash cried, and we crouched. Artemis had an arrow trained, ready to shoot at a moment's notice.

The lights went out, then came back on. They revealed that The Brain and Mallah had escaped.

We all relaxed a little, while Kid Flash said, "Wait, that big weapon thing was a _light switch?" _

* * *

><p>The stars looked so pretty when the clouds rolled past, revealing a slightly lighter sky.<p>

"What are you grinning about?" Artemis asked Kid Flash.

"One word: souvenir!" He held up Mallah's red hat, and put it on.

"Wait, KF, I think-"

"Two words: gorilla lice," Artemis cut me off, and a disgusted Kid Flash took the thing off in a hurry.

Aqualad finished taking the collars off of every animal, while Captain Marvel was talking to a tiger. Well, he did all the talking, but the tiger listened. It ran away, and Captain Marvel said, "I think I'll call him Mr. Tawny!"

"The rest of the pack is gone! What are you still doing here?" Superboy asked the wolf, who was nudging his hand.

"I think he wants to stay with you!" Miss Martian said.

"Can I keep him?" Superboy sounded like a little kid.

"Haha! First the sphere, now this beast? Dude, you sure make a habit of collecting strays!" Kid Flash laughed.

"Maybe because he's such a stray himself," Miss Martian told him fondly.

"Well, he's gonna need a name! How's about Krypto?"

The wolf snarled, while the clone said, "Pass."

"Besides, isn't that taken?" Miss M asked.

"It doesn't matter, the beauty needs a name," I said, brushing the animal's magnificent fur. The wolf yipped happily.

"He likes you, Element!" Kid Flash said,

"I have a way with animals," I smiled.

"Maybe you should've been called 'Beast Girl'!" He smiled back.

"Look, I need to know," Robin said, startling all of us. We walked over to see what he was talking about, "why did you keep the mole Intel a secret?"

Aqualad glanced at him, then back at all of us, "The source of the tip was Sportsmaster."

"What? You can't trust him!" Artemis exploded. What was her deal with him?

"I do not," Aqualad reassured her, "It seems possible, even likely that he was attempting to divide the Team with false information."

"And given how this mission went, he nearly succeeded," Robin figured out, "You had to consider it might be true."

"Yes, as leader I did. And which case I did not wish to alert the traitor."

Robin sighed, "I hate to say it, but, makes sense."

"I am still prepared to step down," Aqualad said.

"All in favor of keeping Aqualad as leader?" Kid Flash raised his hand. As did everyone else.

"Guess it's unanimous," Captain Marvel shook Aqualad's hand, "See you tomorrow!"

"You are not coming back with us?"

"Na, gotta fly!" And he did, becoming a speck in the sky.

We all entered the Bio-ship, and Superboy decided to call the wolf just that. Wolf.

"Lexi," I turned, Aqualad was still standing there, "I wanted to thank you. You were the one who stood by me this whole time."

I stared at him, my leader. Did he consider me the mole? I guess I couldn't blame him, me being new and all. But it also angered me, I haven't proven myself yet? Way to build more walls than needed.

I shrugged with a smile, "There's no need to thank me, but you're welcome. It's just what teammates-friends-do."

I walked away from him. My friends seemed to have made up, but how long before something set them off again? And, who was the mole? It wasn't me, that's for sure.


	8. Chapter 8: Decoys

**Udpdating like a boss!**

**knightmare1986: First question: Yes, to both parts. Though, she doesn't like generating fire if she can help it. For your second question, I guess she can. I don't think she would try it without practicing. I haven't given many thoughts to her powers, but I'll play around with it! An exciting thought, though!**

* * *

><p>Robin and Kaldur were doing a training session. Captain Marvel, Zatara-our newest guardian-, and I were overseeing it.<p>

Where Robin failed, Kaldur succeeded, and vise versa. Robin was so agile and headstrong, while Kaldur was strong and placid. They both stopped as M'gann, Conner, and Wolf walked in.

"Hey Lexi!" Robin snapped me out of my thoughts, "Wanna spar?" I stood up, smoothing out my shirt, happy to have jeans on today.

"Sure!" Kaldur and I switched places, and I struck a ready pose, but Robin was concentrated on Conner and M'gann.

"Uh, Robin? Aren't we sparring?" I asked.

"You do know they're a couple, right?" He asked in an undertone.

I rolled my eyes, "Of course! You have to be thick headed or oblivious to not see it." Just then, Artemis and Wally walked in.

"Exhibit A," I muttered, and Robin laughed.

"Do we tell them?"

"It is not our place," Kaldur said, over hearing us.

Wally was complaining, again. This time it was about Captian Marvel being here still, and how he was eating all of Wally's snacks.

I personally liked Captain Marvel being here. He was a breath of fresh air from the suffocating Zatara. The magician seems to have eyes on the back of his head. How can he tell if we're sneaking out or not. Captain Marvel, on the other hand, would turn a blind eye. He was more like a kid than an adult, and it was totally cool.

RECONGIZED: BATMAN 02

"Computer, National News," The Dark Knight wasted no time.

The news channel was brought up, a reporter with blonde hair was in Metropolis.

"The initial attack was short lived," Cut to giant plants attacking buildings, "but it only granted a short reprieve. And despite the intervention by Superman and the Justice League, there seems to be no end in sight."

"Should we get out there?" Robin asked eagerly.

"No. the League will soon have the situation under control, and that's not why I'm here. According to your intel, Sportsmaster supplied Cadmus Blockbuster formula to Kobra."

"Who combined Bane's venom to create Kobra Venom," Wally finished.

"Which The Brain used to create his animal army!" Robin added.

"And upgrade Wolf," Conner rubbed under the animal's chin.

"The Brain also used inhibitor collars, like the ones at Belle Rêve Penitentiary!" M'gann stated.

"Batman, is it possible that plant thingy's on Kobra Venom too?" Artemis asked.

"I had Green Lantern run a spot analysis. The find's cellulose does contain trace amounts a of Kobra Venom variant."

"These cannot be coincidences, unrelated criminals are cooperating with one another world wide."

"It spells disaster," I put in simply.

"Exactly. It's now clear enemies have formed some kind of secret society of supervillians. The attack on Metropolis is only the beginning," Bats said.

"Got that right," Robin checked his own computer, "Plant creatures have sprouting in Gotham City, Paris, Star City, Tepei-" The screens went dead.

"Dude!" Wally exclaimed.

"It's not me!" Robin said, typing furiously, "Someone's cutting off the satellite signal. All satellite signals!"

The screens suddenly showed a man with green hair, a white face, and a large smile. Even if you weren't a superhero, you knew his name.

The Joker.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we interrupt your regularly scheduled mayhem to bring you this important enouncement, from the Injustice League!" The Joker turned the camera and aimed it at a group of people, all of them looking bad.

"Really? That name is _so _creative," I told them, but Bats glared at me.

"We are responsible for the attacks on your cities. If you wish to save them, a ransom of ten billion American dollars is required," A man with light blonde hair smirked, "Delivery instructions have been sent to the United Nations. There is no time limit, but the longer your governments wait-" A hand, then The Joker's face, "The more we get to have our….jollies!" A freaky laugh, and the end of the message.

"Roger that Aquaman, the UN will prepare the ransom as a fallback, but it won't come to that, " Bats spoke into his earpiece.

Robin rewound the transmission, "Count Veritgo, The Joker, Poison Ivy, Ultra Humanite, Atomic Skull, Black Atom, Wotan…seven heavy hitters! Probably behind nearly everything and everyone we faced."

"There's your secret society," Wally muttered.

"Not so secret anymore," Artemis replied.

"Perhaps after India, they realized we would deduce the truth and saw no point in hiding any longer."

I raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure? An evil group such as that wouldn't come out like they did."

Eyes all stared at me, "How do you know that?" Conner asked.

"I, uh, don't! Common sense is a good thing!" I back pedaled. They all relaxed, but I saw Robin was staring at me skeptically.

"Right now, I say we go kick some plant creature butt!" Wally said, drawing the attention from me.

"The Justice League will handle the plants. I have a different job for this team."

"Aww, man!" Wally complained, and Artemis smacked him on the arm.

"With the plants are attacking so many locations simultaneously, there must be a central control system. Your mission is to destroy it."

"You realize what you're really asking them to do?" Zatara spoke for the first time.

"They're ready. All of them," Bats gaze flickered to me for a moment.

"Ready? Ready for what?" Wally asked, then snapped as Artemis hit him again, "Will you cut that-"

"Hello, Wally! If the big guns are fighting plants, who do you think we'll be fighting?" Artemis asked.

"I dunno! Guess we'll-" He turned as Artemis pointed to the Injustice League, "Ooohhh."

"Well, Batman, I trust you're right," Zatara said.

"And I trust you can locate the enemy," Bats in turn said to him.

"Indeed. Wotan's involvement suggests sorcery is part of how the plants are controlled. Robin, if you would provide a holomap."

Robin bent over his keyboard.

"I'll search for concentrated sources of activity," The magician put his hands out in front of him, and spoke backwards. The holomap stopped spinning and focused on one point.

"There. That is where you will find the Injustice League's central control system."

"Coordinates locked in. The Louisiana Bayou."

"We are on our way," Kaldur promised.

* * *

><p>We quickly made it to Bayou. We were all suited up and ready to go.<p>

"What's in the duffel?" Kid Flash asked.

"Plan B," Aqualad said, refusing to tell us what it was.

Miss Martian placed a hand on her head, causing Superboy to ask what was wrong.

"Dizzy."

"Martians can get airsick?" Robin asked.

"She does look a little green."

"Ha ha, very punny KF," I rolled my eyes at him.

"Not me, her."

"I feel fine!" Artemis protested.

"Not her, the Bio-ship! She's trying to shield us, but," There was an impact, and the Bio-ship was sent spinning. I had to grip my seat to keep from falling off. The ship came to a crashing halt, and all if us were disoriented for a moment. The Bio-ship landed in the water. More of those plant creatures came out of the water and wrapped around the ship, trapping it. A hole was ripped into a ceiling, and Black Atom's face appeared.

"He's hurting her!" Miss Martin grunted, and Superboy jumped. His fist connected with Black Atom's face, sending him flying.

Water gushed through the opening, and Artemis cried, "No! there is no way I am drowning nearly two missions in a row!" she placed a breather in her mouth, and Robin dove under. She handed another breather to Kid Flash, and surprised, he took it.

"We need to get out! Open a hatch!" Superboy commanded.

"Got you all covered!" I told them. Creating a bubble of air around my head, I dove under the water. I had one hand controlling the bubble, one hand ready to create another, lest those breathers failed.

Miss Martian opened a hatch at the bottom of the Bio-ship.

_Out, everyone, Out! _Aqualad commanded. We all swam out of the Bio-ship, and resurfaced at a place where we could watch the fate of our trusty transportation vehicle as it disappeared beneath the surface.

"She's in shock, she'll need time to recover," Miss Martian said, but covered her head. Everyone else did too, and my head felt it was going to explode. A migraine times a thousand.

"Vertigo!" Kid Flash addressed our attacker.

"Count Vertigo to you, peasant!" The man snarled.

Superboy was on his feet and proceeded to attack, but Black Atom appeared and smashed him in the face. Huh. I guess karma really does work.

Aqualad ht Count Vertigo with water, then contacted us mentally.

_Robin, Miss Martian, disappear! We will keep them busy. You two, fulfill the mission objective! _Miss M took to the sky in camouflage mode, and Aqualad got punched by Black Atom. Wolf sprang on top of him, but he threw the animal into Artemis, who was going to shoot him. I glanced at the water supply by my feet and smiled. This was going to be fun. I unleashed a monstrous wave, and it slammed Black Atom straight in the chest, but it didn't seem to do anything! In my shock, I didn't see Count Vertigo sneak up behind me, and I screamed with the force my head was getting bashed with. My vision grew hazy, and the rest was black.

* * *

><p>When I woke up, we were in a cage made of pure energy. The others were already awake, some were looking outside, others down at me. I stood up quickly, ignoring the chronic pain my head emitted. We were flying at a fast rate towards what looked like a greenhouse, a huge plant sticking up out of the middle.<p>

The cage suddenly vanished, and we were free falling towards the ground. Good thing the ground was closer this time, or we'd all be pancakes.

Ultra Humanite faced Superboy. What was with our enemies and monkeys? Too cheap to afford _real _humans?

Aqualad and Artemis faced Poison Ivy, but they had their weapons gone.

"Augh. I feel naked, and not in a fun way!" Artemis said.

Poison Ivy unleashed her plants. But Kladur boosted Artemis into the air. Maneuver Seven, I recalled.

Kid Flash ran at Black Atom and Count Vertigo, but the villain did something to slow him down. Black Atom swatted him away as if he was a fly.

"Hey! Don't hurt him!" I yelled, drawing their attention. I raised my hand, and the ground, which was both water and earth, moved upward, covering their feet, their ankles, and so on.

An explosion shook the ground. I turned and saw the huge plant turn orange, then fell in four parts, destroyed.

Robin and Miss Martian did it! They stopped the plants! I saw them now, standing on the roof.

"Timber," Robin called down to Poison Ivy. In her rage, the plant controller commanded her plants to attack, but Miss Martian easily broke the plants into pieces. Miss Martian herself was shot down, and Robin jumped to avoid another blast of light.

"Kill them!" I heard Vertigo say, "Kill. Them. All."

Each of the villains seemed to have gotten the message. Robin and Miss M dodged what turned out to be Atomic Skull. Superboy was still fighting with the ape, but was hit by Black Atom.

Vertigo brought Artemis to her knees, but I jumped in front of her, taking the pain. The green archer gaped up at me, and I smiled.

"Enough!" A voice, Wotan, I assume, echoed through the night. He released energy from his hands, and there was an unbearable shock running through my whole body. This wasn't like the time in the Tower of Fate, this energy hurt all over.

The energy stopped just as quickly as it came. I looked over at my friends, and noticed Aqualad was holding something in his hands. Wait wasn't that-

"The Helmet of Fate!" Wotan cried.

"No, Aqualad! DON'T!" Kid Flash shouted, but was bashed into a tree by Black Atom. Superboy took his, and Kid Flash's revenge by punching him sky-high.

There was a yellow light, and Aqualad wasn't Aqualad. He was Doctor Fate.

"Wotan," a voice that sounded like a thousand, said, "You are mine!"

Doctor Fate quickly brushed aside Wotan's attack, and captured him in chains.

But that didn't last for long. These baddies never seemed to give up! Wotan broke free, and sent Aqua- Doctor Fate falling to the ground.

Miss Martian was having trouble, and we decided to help her. Wally spun Vertigo around, and Artemis kicked him square in the face. The villain crashed into Poison Ivy, and both were on the ground. I made them stay there with rock crushing their bodies to the floor. Artemis was taken out by Wolf, again, and Kid Flash just avoided a punch by the gorilla. I noticed his arm was in a make-shift sling.

Wotan was about to deliver the final blow to Doctor Fate, but a beam came out of no where, hitting Wotan.

The beam came from Zatara, and him, along with the other Leaguers, came to our rescue.

"It's over," Bats said, and they surrendered.

"There will be another day," Vertigo promised.

"Another day? ANOTHER DAY? There won't be another day! Not for any of us!" The Joker raised his hands. Plants everywhere moved at his command, and released green gas.

"Joker Venom spores! Don't breathe!" Bats instructed, and knocked out The Joker.

"Fear not!" Doctor Fate made a cross, and sucked the gas out of the atmosphere. "Fate has intervened!"-

"What were you thinking?" Kid Flash exploded, "How could you let him put on the Helmet? Nabu will never release him now. Kaldur will be trapped inside Doctor Fate forever."

"You can't be serious!" I cried. His look told me he was completely serious.

Aqualad took off the Helmet with ease, and Kid ran over to him.

"Nabu let you go?"

"He almost did not, but your friend Kent was most helpful. He says hello," Aqualad told him.

Kid Flash smiled, while Bats said, "We're done here. The super villain's secret society was been neutralized. As for your performance,"

We all tensed, waiting for the verdict.

"It was satisfactory," We all relaxed visibly.

The Justice League began to leave, but I got Batman's wrist.

"Bats," He turned, "I don't think this is over."

"Neither do I, Element, but let's not focus on that now," The Dark Knight stepped on a green platform, and was whisked away.

We all went into the Bio-ship, and left for home, but I believed our troubles weren't over.


	9. Chapter 9: Heroes

**No witty author's note today!**

* * *

><p>I threw a left hook to Artemis's face. She blocked it with her wrist and aimed a punch of her own. I did a back handspring to avoid it, but her foot caught my ankles as I landed. Robin and Conner were sparring, as well as M'gann and Kaldur. Wally… Wally was sitting in a recliner, taking advantage of Captain Marvel's kindness.<p>

"Good work everyone. In fact, it's been a very productive week," Black Canary told us, her lips playing a small smile.

"Yeah, for everyone except Kid Malingerer," Artemis said.

Wally sipped his lemonade, "Hey! Arm broken in combat against the Injustice League here!"

"But don't you have super healing?" I asked.

"Not that fast!"

"I really enjoyed being your, uh, den mother this week," Canary didn't let us get into an argument.

"RECOGNIZED: ZATARA 11" The computer announced. The top-hatted magician didn't head straight for us, but instead pulled up a holographic keyboard.

"ACCESS: GRANTED. ZATANNA ZATARA A03. AUTHORIZATION: ZATARA 11"

We all watched in interest as the zeta-tube glowed. A girl about my age appeared.

"Zatanna, this is the Team," Zatara told the girl. I studied her closely. She had black hair like her father, though her eyes were a bright blue instead of Zatara's green. The must come from her mother, whoever she is. Zatara never talked about his family, so I didn't even know he had a wife, much less a daughter.

"Team, my daughter, Zatanna," Zatanna looked lost. As if she didn't know why she was here.

M'gann flew over, "Hi, I'm-"

"Robin!" The Boy Wonder cut her off, "Uhm, I mean, _I'm _Robin. She's Megan, and that's Wally, Artemis, Kaldur, and Conner."

I cleared my throat.

"Oh, and Lexi."

"Welcome to the Cave," Kaldur said.

Zatanna spoke hesitantly, "Uh, thanks."

"So, uh, are you joining the Team?" I raised an eyebrow. It wasn't like Robin to get flustered.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. This is strictly a visit," Zatara answered for her.

"Though, I am sorry we missed the training. It's something from which Zatanna could benefit from," The magician turned to our teacher.

_Do the rest of you get the impression we're still on probation with Zatara? _Megan asked mentally.

_Not just Zatara, I mean, why is Marvel still hanging around? _Conner added.

_Because we like having him around! _Wally was implying on Marvel's answer to his every beck and call.

_You like having him around because he waits on you hand and foot._

_And your point is? _Wally asked the green archer.

_It almost makes one nostalgic from Red Tornado's tenure as our superviser. _A moment of silence for our robot.

_At least he trusts us! _Robin exclaimed.

_He did what he could, _I added.

_If you ignore the fact we shouldn't have trusted him! He was a traitor! That machine nearly got M-all- of us killed! _Conner lashed our.

"Are you guys having a psychic conversation?" Zatanna called us out. All eyes went to her.

"'Cause I can't decide if that's cool, or really rude."

"Alright, fine! We were talking about Tornado. It's been weeks since his attack, and the League hasn't told anything!" Way to go, Conner.

_Note to self, don't tell Conner secrets._

"The League is searching for Tornado, as well as the other androids that invaded the Cave, and their creator, T.O. Morrow. Batman's made tracking him down our highest priority," Canary explained.

"But you found none of the above!" Robin challenged.

"Not yet. But Tornado is Justice League. The Team is not to pursue this!"

"Why don't you all take Zatanna on a, uh, tour of the Cave," Zatara looked around for his daughter. Turns out, the sneaky girl was playing with Wolf. I felt my face burn. She was pretty, was good with animals, what more could she have?

"You're giving a tour? Cool!" Captain Marvel appeared with nachos.

"Actually, I was hoping you could take Wolf outside. He needs the exercise, and we'll join you in a few," Conner told the Captain.

"Sure. Sure! I can do that, come on, Wolf!" Marvel exited with the beautiful animal.

"But, my nachos!" Wally complained, but he was dragged away.

_I'm not getting the best vibe with her. _I confessed as we walked into the kitchen.

_You're just upset she's better than you! _Robin replied nastily.

_Robin! What a terrible thing to say! _Megan scolded him.

_No, it's fine Megan. It's good to know where I stand in his life. _I refused to look at Robin again.

Something inside me felt angry. Angry at Zatanna, for coming here, messing everything up about our team, making me look like something on the bottom of someone's shoes. And at Robin, for being attracted to this girl, to treating me with such anger.

We noticed Zatanna had changed clothes.

"When did you, how did you-"

"We're not really taking a tour, are we?" Zatanna cut Robin off.

"No. We're hunting down that robot," Conner spilled another secret.

"Yes. We are," Kaldur agreed.

"Oh, wow. Out loud and everything," Zatanna joked. Robin smiled.

"What about new girl?" Artemis asked.

"Yeah, wouldn't Zatara notice?" I added pointedly.

"I'm sure she won't tell," Robin said, an implied question.

"I can't tell, not if you kidnap me," A smirk on that pretty little face of hers.

"Oh, she's gonna fit in great!" Artemis commented.

We headed to the Bio-ship, but a hand on my arm stopped me. I turned, and Artemis was grinning at me, Megan was giggling.

"What?" I asked, a little more harshly than intended.

"Lexi, it's ok to feel this way," Artemis said solemnly.

"What way? I'm not feeling anything!"

"It's written all over your face!" Megan cried, giggling more.

"What? What is?" I was totally confused.

My two friends looked at each other, then looked at me, the biggest of smiles on their faces.

"You're jealous!" They both exclaimed.

"Jealous? Are you two out of your minds?" I hissed at them.

"Nope, we just watched you as Robin flirted with Zatanna."

"And?"

"Jealousy was written all over you! In your face, your eyes, your body language!" Megan laughed.

"You guys are crazy! You honestly think I'm jealous over Zatanna and _Robin?_" They both nodded.

"I'm not jealous. Robin can fall for whoever he likes. I could care less," I walked away from my friends. I knew I didn't convince them.

* * *

><p>"M'gann, the Bio-ship wasn't authorized for departure," Black Canary's voice came above us.<p>

"We're kidnapping Zatanna, to, uh, show her Happy Harbor! Be back soon!" The Martian recovered quickly.

"Roger that, uh, have fun," Canary signed off.

"Where are we going?" Wally asked.

"Batman is the world's greatest detective, and he searched for T. O. Morrow in every logical location. If we're going to better, we need an illogical solution. A truly dumb idea."

We all swung our heads to Kid Flash, who smirked, "As a matter of fact.."-

We ended up at the Belle Rêve prison, where Miss Martian and Superboy went undercover, as I found out. Maybe I need to pay more attention to what my friends do when I'm not there.

"Warden Strange owed us a favor for stopping last month's prison break. He's given us five minutes with _you,_" Miss Martian leaned over the table that separated us from the person in behind.

"Spill, Ivo! How do we find T.O. Morrow and his Reds?" Blunt Superboy, as always.

"Now why in the world would I know how to Morrow?" Ivo leaned back into his chair.

"Because, and here's a truly dumb idea, you're Morrow's biggest competitor in the evil android game! Who better to keep track of what he's up to, and where." I had to give Wally credit. He might seem really stupid sometimes, but this plan may actually work.

"Ah, I see your point. So, let me rephrase: Why in the world would I tell you how to find Morrow?" Ivo's lips held a slight smirk.

"He knows. Do what you must," Aqualad said Miss Martian.

The green girl made her eyes glow, trying to see into Ivo's mind.

"Oh please! As if I haven't faced a telepath before!" Ivo scoffed.

"Trulb tuo s'worrom laer noitacol!" Zatanna commanded, and Ivo said, "Morrow's in a secret underground base beneath Yellowstone National Park, 100 meters soth of Ol' Faithful."

Even I was stunned, but quickly wiped the emotion off my face.

"So you have magic powers. What can't you do?" I snarled, and it was Zatanna's turn to be surprised.

"Wait, what just happened?" cried a confused Ivo. We all ignored him as we walked out of the door.

"Thanks for the location," I couldn't help but smile as I shut the door on a very pissed Ivo.-

"Lock out all external communication. Soon Canary and Zatara, and Batman too, I imagine, will know of our 'visit' with Professor Ivo. We haven't much time," Aqualad instructed Miss Martian.

"Look, I'm trying to be all nonchalant here," Robin started. I still refused to look at him, but I knew he probably had that goofy grin on his face. I was looking out the window, my arms crossed.

"Why? Be as chalant as you like." Great, Zatanna shared that annoying habit of his. He's probably in heaven right now.

"I think we're all trying to get a handle on your powers," Artemis explained, "Could you teleport us to Tornado? Or Morrow to a cell? Or force his bots to surrender?"

"Or create peace on Earth for all time?" Zatanna sarcastically replied, "Zatara couldn't even do all that, and I'm no where near on my dad's level. I need to know a spell cold, or I'll have time to prep it. Plus, all magic requires energy, which usually has comes from within. I just can't make the impossible happen at will."

"What's our ETA to Yellowstone? I'm way past ready to stuff Tornado into a trash compactor!" Thank you, Superboy, for your rage! It help deals with Zatanna's nasally voice.

"Are you so certain he betrayed us?" Aqualad asked quietly. Such a contrast.

"Aren't you?" Superboy flashed back.

"I am not convinced, and even so, that makes him but the victim of his creator's programming. Certainly he gets the chance to prove he's more than the weapon others designed him to be."

We stayed silent the rest of the way to Yellowstone. I've never been to a national park before. My parents were always too busy to take me to one. Too bad it was dark, because I couldn't see the beauty of Yellowstone.

"Stealth mode," Aqualad said as soon as we landed. I pressed my 'E', and watched my clothes become darker.

"I recommend you stay behind," The Atlantian told Zatanna.

"Is that an order?"

"No, you must do as you see fit."

"Good! Emit ot yrt a wen kool," Zatanna switched her clothes again, this time to a more feminine version of her father's outfit, and we took off running to Morrow's location.

* * *

><p>"Ivo was right, something is down there!" Robin checked his computer.<p>

"Element, go," Aqualad told me. I placed my hands out in front of me, but before I could do any ground moving, a strong wind blew me off my feet

It was Red Tornado, and he set off tornados in a semi-circle around us.

"Oh, so you like it windy?" I taunted, and tried to quell a tornado, but to no avail.

"Why, Tornado? Why are you doing this?" Miss Martian shouted over the wind.

The wind picked up, blowing my hair in every which way.

_Message received?_ She asked over telepathy.

Superboy nodded, "Who cares why? Nail him!" He ran toward the robot.

"Superboy, maneuver seven!" Aqualad commanded, and the clone boosted him him. Aqualad brought his arm out for a punch, but Tornado easily swatted him aside. Artemis shot two arrows, which were shot back at her and Robin.

"That does it Red, you're not the only Spin Doctor around here!" Kid Flash spun around and around until he was a tornado himself. Miss M snuck up behind the android, but he sensed her and flung her into Kid Flash, both of them knocked out. It was just Zatanna and I.

Zatanna tried to say a spell, but Tornado grabbed her throat, effectively cutting her off, and he flung her besides the others.

I saw what Tornado was doing. Quite smart, actually. So I threw a big rock at Tornado, and he sent it back to me. I crumbled the rock before it could do any damage, but made it look like it hit me square in the chest. I flew myself back and onto the ground, eyes closed.

"Quite a performance, brother," I heard a voice that sent chills down my spine

"But we both know that's all it was. I have all your memories, Tornado, plus a mixed gen processor. I know your next move before you do." The voice remarked. Shoot! He found us out!

As if we commanded by a puppeteer, we rose from our places.

"Blowing a message into the sand?" The other robot broke the rock plate into pieces and hurtled them like knives. I ran in front and redirected the rocks, they passed harmlessly on either side.

_Zatanna? _Robin's concern made me sick.

_I'm good, but Red Tornado's getting away!_

_Is he abandoning us? _Artemis asked in disbelief.

_I don't believe that! _Miss Martian said.

"You stand no chance against me, humans," The robot knocked Kid Flash away as he ran up to the thing.

"We're not human!" Superboy and Miss Martian cried, both heading towards the android.

"Apologies. I suppose the properly inclusive term is," Rock hands smashed the two to the ground, "meat bags."

The robot spilt the ground in two, almost sending Artemis and Aqualad to their deaths. I intervened by blowing them to the other side, then tried to close the gap.

"I see this human shares my power. Let's see how you do under pressure," The thing rocked the Earth, making my head spin. I used all my strength in stopping it.

"But such a novice you are," There was almost sadness in its voice.

Robin ran up a fallen rock and threw a birdarang at the machine. It caught it in its hand, and the thing exploded, not harming the robot at all.

"Tornado's memory files and my superior processing speed allow me to anticipate your every move." It was like it was taunting us!

Zatanna spoke, and a trail of smoke wrapped around the robot's eyes.

"Tornado never knew my moves!" Zatanna explained.

"And I bet you got some good ones!" Robin said, but back tracked when Zatanna looked at him, "Woah, sorry, I might have come off a little too Wally."

"I don't mind!" Zatanna smiled. I saw Artemis glance at me, but I forced myself to ignore it and not have a reaction.

The robot used laser vision, and the volcano behind him erupted, sending a huge flare into the sky. Lava overflowed the place, making it that much more dangerous.

"This is where the elements come into play!" I breathed. No pun intended.

_He's activating a stage two eruption. It gets to stage three, kiss the hemisphere goodbye! _Kid Flash exclaimed. I bit my lip, because I knew what was coming next.

_Hit him from all sides! Element, try to calm the volcano._ Aqualad said.

I watched as my teammates, plus Zatanna, ran towards the android. I concentrated on the massive volcano that loomed before me. How could I stop it? If I could stop it at all!

I blinked back tears the emerged. Some from the smoke, some from my fear.

_I have to try! I can't just let the Earth blow up without doing anything! This is what it means to be a hero, right? To face your fears?_

I raised my hand, and bit my cheek this time. The metallic tang of blood filled my mouth, but I ignored it. I was about to do it, about to face my fear, when a huge water gush came out of no where. I turned, and saw the male android from the attack. It hoisted itself into the air, and commanded three streams of water at the bigger one, who had landed in the lava.

The bigger one didn't seem to take any damage, and rose from the ground. Suddenly, Red Tornado smashed through the rock like a drill. The bigger one, who I now dub 'Volcano', still got up from the attack. Fireballs flew at him, thrown by the only female android there. She landed and grabbled with Volcano.

"Sister, Brothers, stop!" Volcano shouted as the female pushed him into the lava once more. Red Tornado and the other reds followed.

Superboy rescued Tornado before he burned completely, and the volcano shook more.

"Tornado, listen! We're on the verge of a stage three super volcano eruption! There's no turning back from that! We need a vent pressure, fast! But the ash cloud will bring on the world wide nuclear winner, unless you divert it!" Red Tornado nodded.

"Triangulate the pressure focus!" Kid Flash took charge.

"There, there, and there!" Robin pointed it out.

Artemis shot an arrow, which turned into three bombs, plotting the points. Tornado then took off.

"Why aren't you helping him? Zatanna asked curiously.

I felt defeated. No, worthless.

"Because I can't," I told her quietly.

We watched as Tornado unleashed a huge vortex, sucking in all the ash, and cooling the lava.

"Yes!" Kid Flash exclaimed.

Red Tornado collapsed to the ground, and we ran to help him.

* * *

><p>We found Morrow's lab, and we hooked up Tornado.<p>

"There, that should do it," Robin said, snapping the last part of Tornado's voice box in.

"Yes. I can speak again."

"You were willing to sacrifice yourself to save the planet," Aqualad said.

"The planet would've survived. It was humanity was saved. Though not by me. My sister and brother were the true heroes this day."

"My point is this: you were never the mole. Never a traitor."

"No. I left to protect you from further attack and find my creator, Morrow," Tornado explained.

"Reddy, we can rebuild you. Better than you were before!" Robin said as KF found another souvenir.

"I believe I should not be repaired."

"Why did you volunteer to be our den mother in the first place?" Superboy asked.

"I was the pragmatic choice. I do not require sleep, I have no secret identity or second life to live."

"But you do have advanced AI programming, designed to learn, adapt, evolve!" Kid Flash said.

"Hello, Megan! You wanted to become more human!"

"And you couldn't do that with the League, could you? They're stiffs!" Artemis smirked.

"You're sure not going to learn emotions from Batman, trust me," Robin added."

"Then the Cave was not a improving ground only for us. But for you as well."

"I do not know if these statements are accurate," Red Tornado began, "but perhaps, they are true. And if I understand the term correctly, I believe I have come to care about you all."

His statement touched my heart.

"See, practically a meat bag already." Way to kill the mood, Superboy-

We flew back to the Cave, leaving Tornado to his business.

"So, a good kidnapping?" Robin asked Zatanna.

"Actually, yeah. The best ever."

"First of many, I hope."

"If my dad doesn't ground me for life."

And that's exactly what he did.

"She's grounded for life!" Zatara roared once we were back at the Cave, "'They're good kids, Giovanni.' 'Don't worry, Giovanni.' She's never joining this team!"

I turned from a fuming Zatara and to the zeta-tubes.

"Lexi?" I turned and Robin was standing there.

"Hey, I'm sorry about-"

"Don't worry about it. I knew you never liked me," I said, taking off my headband and letting my bangs cover my left eye.

"What, no! Lexi, I like you a lot!" He said.

"You don't have to lie, Robin." I watched the zeta-tube light up, "We can't be heroes all the time," I whispered, and left Robin standing, a hurt expression on his face.


	10. Chapter 10: The Fallen

**Gah! I'm sorry I didn't update yesterday! Now my schedule's all thrown off! Bleh, but I guess I can't blame myself for getting sick. A chronic headache kept me in bed, and the chances of staring at a computer for three hours were zero.**

**ANYWAY, Failsafe is my favorite YJ episode up to date, and I felt so happy, so honored, to put my personal spin on this amazing episode.**

**So, I'll be working my butt off more to get all caught up, and that shouldn't be too hard, since it's the weekend and I'm free to work on it. The premier of Coldhearted just gave that spirit I need to get through the last four episodes!**

**And sorry for all the rambling! R&R, please! **

* * *

><p>And just like that, the Batwing was gone, zapped by the alien ship. I bit my lip as tears glittered my eyes. Batman was in there, and he was dead. Dead, just like that. Gotham's greatest hero, gone. I had to tell myself repeatedly that it wasn't real, it wasn't real, just to make sure my tears wouldn't spill over.<p>

"Tornado," Zatara's grave voice came through a transmission, "did you-"

"Yes, Zatara. We saw. Celestial defenses have failed. Initiate all terrestrial measures."

"Affirmative. See you in the field," Zatara signed off.

Red Tornado turned to us, "I must join the League. We will protect the planet at all costs. If we should fail, the responsibility falls to you."

"We stand ready," Kaldur promised.

As soon as Tornado left, we watched the news from Central City. We watched as Iris West-Allen almost get zapped by the aliens, but the Flash saved her. Zatara then transported them atop a building.

"You both be safe here, at least for now," Zatara was saying on screen.

"Thank you, Flash, and Zatara," said Iris, who looked a lot like Wally.

"As you can see, the Justice League is attempting to hold them off." There, on a building, were civilians crying for help. The two ran to save them, but were killed, just as the others were.

Iris's voice dropped, "No.."

"IRIS, IRIS GET OUT OF THERE!" The news reporter, Cat, screamed, then sat down heavily, "I'm sorry, we're experiencing technical difficulties from our Central City feed. We take you now to a devastated Tepei where another League contingent is having a bit more luck." The screen switched just in time to see Hawkgirl and Hawkman disappear. Black Canary and Green Arrow followed suit.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we've lost Black Canary, Green Arrow, and the Hawks. Other heroes reported dead or missing include Batman, Icon, Atom, and Aquaman," If Cat's face got any lower, she would be a horse.

I slid a glance at my teammates. They had unreadable faces. No, correction: they had blank faces. Totally devoid of emotion. Even if this wasn't real, wouldn't they show _some _sort of sadness for their mentors?

"Red Tornado to Cave. I fear I am all that remains of the League-"

"RT!" Robin exclaimed, and Red Tornado was gone. That hurt me almost as Bats' death did.

"We are Earth's heroes now," Kaldur said.

"So what are we waiting for? A theme song?" Conner asked.

"A strategy. Earth's weapons are ineffective, and it has been tragically clear a direct attack will not succeed."

"Tracking satellite imagery," Robin brought up a holomap, an area covered in red. "Here's where the aliens are now."

"This one get lost?" Conner pointed to a lone spot north.

"That's Superman's Fortress of Solitude!"

"Superman has a Fortress of Solitutde?" asked the clone. C'mon, even I knew he had a Fortress of Solitude!

"It's power source must've attracted the aliens' attention. At least, enough to send a scout ship to investigate."

"Must be some fortress," Conner muttered, turning away.

"Conner-" Megan touched his arm.

"No, it's fine. I guess there's a lot about Superman I'll never know. You know. Now."

"We will target this lone ship," Kaldur told us.

"Yeah, break it down! Build more! Hit those ugly aliens with their own mojo-OW!" Wally cried in pain as Artemis whacked him.

"Martian and Kryptoian in the house?" She said in a low voice.

"Uh, heh, not that all aliens are automatically ugly," Wally grinned apologetically.

"So, when do we leave to kick alien butt?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Now," Kaldur said.

* * *

><p>A huge tower made out of ice loomed before us. An 'S' carved into its face. An alien ship stood guard, occasionally shifting.<p>

I crouched behind my cover, made by yours truly. My hair was tucked in a snow colored parka, with matching pants. All of the team had a similar variation to their uniform. Miss Martian worked her magic, taking a part off the ship.

_Communications disabled. _She told us. _Repulsion disabled._

Artemis shot an arrow at the face of the alien. It exploded into foam, blinding the thing.

_And E.T.s are sealed inside!_

Aqualad came out of the water and onto the alien, smashing it. The beam swung around, but before it could hit him, Wolf bashed it the other way. Kid Flash deposited Robin on top, and for extra measures, I had the snow tie the alien to the ground.

_Identifying weapon structural stress points and links to the ship. Here, here, and here! _Miss M did what Robin asked her to, and Superboy was in the process of ripping the thing out, much like an arm out of its socket.

Wolf suddenly sprang up and knocked Superboy away. The animal was hit by the beam, and was gone.

_Wolf!_ I cried with my mind.

_There was no indication of feedback. I-I'm sorry. _Robin said.

_Can't do anything for him now. Let's go. _Superboy shrugged it off, and got back to what he was doing.

_Rerouting systems to integrate weapon into ship's bio matrix. I need to de-camouflage for a few minutes. _Miss M said while putting the broken beamer into the Bio-ship.

_We may not have a few minutes. _Robin remarked as two more aliens flew overhead. I saw with dismay that Artemis and I were on the other side of the field, and the aliens were between us and the others.

_Miss Martian, open fire! _Aqualad commanded.

_Can't, the systems are offline to incorporate the new cannon! And that's not fully integrated yet either!_

_Gotcha covered, get inside! _Artemis said while launching three arrows.

_We're almost there! _I added, hurling a huge snowball at one of the aliens. Both fell down, and we took off running.

One of the aliens were still functional, so it shot a beam at Artemis and I. I raised a mountain of rock to protect us, but it passed right through!

"Element, look out!" Artemis cried, pushing me out of the way. I turned just to see her body turn skeleton, then disappear completely.

"ARTEMIS!" I screamed. Only one voice drowned out mine.

"ARTEMIS!" Miss Martian screamed louder.

"ARTEMIS!" Kid Flash shouted too.

"Get inside, all of you!" Aqualad instructed. I wouldn't move, couldn't move, so Kid Flash ran and scooped me up, carrying me to the safety of the Bio-ship.

"They're dead! Every single alien! If it's the last thing I do!" Kid Flash's voice was almost scary.

* * *

><p>Miss M's sobs reached through the silent air. She was the first one to break, and I wasn't far behind. I've always believed crying was a sign of weakness, but one of my best friends just died. <em>Saving me. <em>My grief wasn't audible, but my eyes overflowed with the tears I have been holding back for so long.

Kid Flash was going ape on his dashboard.

"There will be time to mourn later," Aqualad got up from his chair, "Now we have a job to do: to defend the Earth, and to make sure Artemis's sacrifice was not in vain."

"Back to the Cave?" Miss Martian asked.

"The Hall of Justice. The human race must know there are still heroes defending them. There is still hope."

Normally, this would excite me. I've never seen the Justice League's base before. But this news wasn't enough to get me from lifting my head; my soul wallowing in grief and self-loathing.

* * *

><p>The Hall of Justice was being under attack by three ships. The Bio-ship let Superboy off right on top of one, and he took it out easily. The Bio-ship's new cannon took out the rest, and we floated down to the battered American soldiers. The door slid open, and the first thing I saw was the American flag. it was ripped, but still standing, just like a long time ago, when the Star Spangled Banner was written.<p>

The soldiers cheered, while one said, "See? It is Superman! I told you he wouldn't leave us out here alone!"

"I don't know, he looks too young. I mean, where's the cape?" asked his companion.

Superboy turned sharply, "I'm not Superman!"

"I don't know who you are, son. And right now, I don't care. You wear the S, and you got the job done."

"I'm not Superman."

The decorative soldier smiled, "Tell that to the enemy," He saluted to Aqualad, "General Wade Eiling, U.S. Air Force!"

"Aqualad, Justice League. We'll help you salvage as many of the aliens' cannons as possible. Then we start taking back what is ours."

Sure, Aqualad planned to go through with what he said. But, let's face it, we can't get Artemis back, and we probably never will.

I stared up at the wreckage. The statues that paid homage to Earth's finest heroes had fallen and crumbled. How suitable, since this is what not only they, but the entire world, had ended up.

"They're really gone," Robin whispered, voicing all of our thoughts. This brought another wave of tears, but I was brushed them away. I had to be strong.

Miss Martian flew over to her uncle's head, a hand rested on his chin. Her cry was muffled, but it was still there. Suddenly, she few back from the statue, her auburn eyes wide. She moved the head over, and underneath laid…Martian Manhunter?

"Uncle J'onn!" She cried, flinging the head away and flying towards him. Aqualad stopped her with a hostile glare at the older Martian.

_M'gann, check his mind! Make sure he is whom he appears to be._

_It's him. He's real! And he's alive! _

"But we saw you get disintegrated! You and Superman! And everyone!" Superboy exclaimed.

"Yes, I remember. But, I cannot remember how I survived. Or how I arrived here."

"Maybe you were density shifting and the beam passed right through you!" Miss Martian offered.

"Scrambling your brains along the way!" Robin added.

"My mind is clouded. I feel certain I had something important to tell you.." The superhero trailed off.

"Hello, Wally!" We turned and looked at the speedster who had used Megan's signature saying, "Come on!"

He and Robin went outside to check the alien ship. The rest of us stood there, waiting for their verdict.

_I knew it! Look! It's giving off zeta-beams! The same stuff that powers our zeta-tubes! This thing doesn't disintegrate, it teleports! Artemis is alive!_

_Maybe, but-_

_No maybes, they're all alive!_

"That must've been what you wanted to tell us!" Miss M said to her relative.

More and more aliens showed up, probably to avenge their fallen. That is, if aliens could feel revenge.

_We're on our way! _

_Negative, we can't win this! Miss Martian, camo the Bio-ship and-_

"AUGH!" Robin was cut off by the screams of Miss M and Manhunter.

"M'gann!" Superboy ran to her side.

Her eyes were filled with tears, "That didn't feel like-"

_We're falling back! _General Eiling, a soldier, Robin, and Kid Flash ran through the doorway.

"We're trapped!" The General hissed, and Aqualad opened the door.

"Maybe not," He said aloud, pondering, "We can all zeta to the Cave, if you can grant us clearance to access the tubes." We followed him as he ran down the hallway.

"I can only authorize one at a time," Martian Manhunter warned.

"Send the soldiers first."

"Delay that! You are such assets we cannot afford to lose!" The General said, keeping an eye on the door.

"Override, Martian Manhunter 07"

"RECONGIZED: ACCESS GRANTED" The zeta-tube opened and fully functional.

"MISS MARTIAN B05. ROBIN B01. KID FLASH B03," Just as KF stepped through the zeta, an explosion knocked the door down. The aliens had come, and were zapping people before you could blink. To help the fighting soldiers, I set up rocks as cover, and sent one of my own into the smoke.

"He goes next," I heard Superboy say. I was too intent on attacking to see what was going on. The computer recognized the soldier as Private Jason Bard. Superboy, I assume, went in after him.

Like a ghost, Aqualad was beside me. I had to retreat very close to the zeta-tube, and was trying to help the soldiers as best as I could.

"Element, you go next," He told me.

"No way am I leaving! I need to help these men! I need to help the Earth!"

"There will be a time for you to do that. What matters right now is saving you," Aqualad looked at me.

I opened my mouth to say something, but was distracted by a beam that hit General Eiling straight on. Aqualad used that distraction to push me into the zeta-tube. The last thing I saw was Aqualad being thrown back, then disappeared with the rest of them.

* * *

><p>"KALDUR!" I screamed, sinking to the floor and hugging my arms around my stomach. To Hell with being strong, my tears were waterfalls down my cheeks. It was my fault he died, or got transported, or whatever. I wouldn't listen to his orders. How many more must die for me? I don't want to be the cause!<p>

The ground shook with the force of my grief. I couldn't control my emotions, and couldn't control my powers, the ground shook harder, making everyone lose their balance a little.

Arms and a cape wrapped around me. At that point, I could care less about what Robin thought of me. I accepted his hug, and cried on his chest, staining it with my tears.

"Lexi, it's ok," He murmured. The ground shook less, and as fast as it had came, the small earthquake was over. Robin got me to stand up, and gently walked me over to where the others were, but I refused to look at them.

"What was that, an earthquake?" Superboy asked, but no one else said anything.

"Our next mission is clear. If we believe the aliens have been teleporting their victims,"

"We do," Kid Flash interrupted.

"Then the only reasonable detention facility is here," Robin finished, pulling up a picture of a dangerous looking alien.

"The mothership. A top of what used to be Smallville. Ring any bells?" We turned to look at Martian Manhunter.

"No, I'm sorry."

"Superboy, you'll create a distraction."

"No!" Miss M and I said at the same time. I just wanted no one else do die, but M'gann had other reasons.

"He's offering you as a sacrifice! Aqualad would never do that!"

"You're right. Aqualad would sacrifice himself. A mistake that just cost us our leader," I flinched at Robin's words. Kaldur sacrificed himself saving me!

"Superboy is the most likely to be proceed as a threat, motivating the aliens to deploy."

"Worst case, he's teleported inside, and we set him free, along with Artemis! And, uh, Aqualad, and everyone!"

But there was a decision to make. What were the survivors doing right now? Probably hidden, scared out of their minds. Who wouldn't be? But, as heroes, we had to quell that fear, even if we have fallen to its grasp ourselves. We decided to hold a video pod cast.

"And though we know all seems lost, the one thing the aliens cannot destroy is hope," Miss Martian said to all the people.

"Hope survives because the battle is not over! Not as long as if only one of us is willing to fight!" Superboy had a earnest tone to his voice.

"This is war, and that's scary," I admitted, "But we will not lose this war because hope never dies!"

"It doesn't matter how many fall, for new heroes will always rise to carry on, bringing all their resources, their skills, their talents to bare, to defeat the enemy!" Kid Flash continued.

"The people of Earth will survive this! We will rebuild, and we will thrive! Never doubt, and never forget: The Earth will NEVER surrender!" Robin finished. You could almost hear the shouts, the roars, of agreement from the people, ready to take on whatever they faced.

* * *

><p>"First team, deploy!" Robin commanded. Miss Martian and her uncle flew up into the air. I had to admit, Robin was doing a great job as leader, and if this whole thing didn't fail, if we were all safe, he could get to be leader more this time.<p>

We watched as both Martians became invisible, then floated through the wall of the mothership.

_Ready and in position. _Miss M informed us.

Superboy got the ok from Robin, and sprang up onto the ship with a huge crash. The alien would have to be dead not to notice that! The clone managed to grab hold of one of their cannons, and use it against its own ship.

_Now or never! _Superboy said, watching as the mothership sent out a bunch of ships.

Robin held on to Kid Flash, while I was moving the earth at a neck-breaking pace beside them. The cliff came in sight fast, and I was flying. Not really, but for the two moments, there was no ground, just sweet air.

Feeling myself lose altitude, I blasted a gust of wind behind me, effectively sailing the rest of the way, and landed with a slight thud on the open launching zone. I gave the two a thumbs up, and we ran inside, hiding just as more ships launched.

_Way is clear, go! _Robin said, and we took off, hiding behind a pillar to escape detection from a patrol alien.

A crash sounded behind us, and another patrol alien crumpled to the ground. It was the Martians, still camouflaged. Robin gestured to them, and the five of us continued to our goal.

Miss Martian sank to her knees. And instantly I knew. Superboy was gone too. Kid Flash ran to her side.

_It's alright, we'll find him with Artemis. I know it!_ I didn't share the ginger's confidence, and someone else agreed.

_No, my mind is clearer now. The disintegration beam is exactly that. There is no detention facility. No prisoners to rescue. Our mission hold no purpose. _Martian Manhunter's words struck home.

_No, you're wrong! The zeta radiation proves she's alive! _Kid Flash desperately held on to the one hope of seeing Artemis again.

_She's-_

_Stop it, KF! I've been scanning for League and Team signals since we got inside. They're not here! Artemis is gone._ The look on my friend's face broke my heart in half.

_But our mission still holds purpose, _Robin went on, _to destroy this mothership!_

Miss Martian picked herself off the floor, and we followed the Boy Wonder, all of us were quiet.

Another door let us to the core of the mothership. It looked like a giant sun was connected to wired, aliens coming and going.

_This is the power core. Blow this, and the whole mothership blows. _We leaped and landed on the platform that would get us closet to the core. The pulse from the core was so strong that Robin was being sucked into it Kid Flash grabbed Robin's hand, but both fell off the platform. Manhunter and Miss M flew over, trying to help. And what was I doing? Trying not to get sucked in myself. I looked back and was relieved to see Robin use his grappling hook and land on a platform. The Martians joined them, and I let go of my handhold, directing my course to them with wind.

I watched as Robin and Kid Flash plant the explosives, the latter calling out the former on knowing the others weren't still alive. I think we all knew, just didn't want to believe it.

When they were done, we ran back to the only exit, the way we came in. The mothership seemed to sense what we were doing and closed the door, sealing us inside.

_Perfect! _KF cried, and turned as more aliens were coming towards us. We dodged their beams by hiding behind dividers.

_Sixteen seconds and counting. Manhunter, take Miss Martian and go._

_No! We won't leave you!_

_That's an order! We'll follow you once we blow those doors! _Manhunter grabbed Miss M's hand and disappeared through the floor.

We gave each tiny nods, and ran out to attack the robots. While Kid Flash was distracted, an alien behind him shot a disintegration beam at him.

For me, time seemed to slow down. This was my one chance to make it all right. I could save Kid Flash. I _will _save Kid Flash!

I turned and jumped. This was for all who had fallen. For Batman. For Kaldur. For Artemis.

"WALLY!" I just had time to shout, before a strange feeling came over my body. It was like being shocked without the pain. I caught Kid Flash's green eyes go wide, and, my world was in darkness.

* * *

><p>My eyes snapped open, taking in the familiar site of the Cave ceiling. My whole body hurt, but I could move. I could feel. I was alive!<p>

I looked around, and saw my teammates were ok. There was Kaldur, and Artemis, and Conner, all in the same condition, but alive! The sight was so overwhelming that I burst into tears immediately.

A hand on my shoulder. The corner of my eye caught a dark glove. The rest of my body turned, and there was Batman, looking down at me.

"Batman," I choked out through a sob, "You're alive!"

"What happened in there?" He wasn't talking to me, but Martian Manhunter.

"The exercise all went wrong."

"Exercise?" Robin asked, "What exercise?"

"Try to remember, " Batman said. No gentleness, such harsh bluntness.

"What you experienced was a training exercise. Manhunter psychically linked the seven of you with a artificial reality. You all knew this going in. what you didn't know that it was a train for failure exercise. No matter what the Team accomplished, the scenario was designed to grow worse. Still you were aware _nothing was real, _including the deaths of the entire Justice League," explained the Dark Knight.

"That is why you hardly grieved, even when Wolf was disintegrated before your eyes. But all that changed when Artemis died." The blonde archer suddenly found the floor really interesting.

"Though consciously Miss Martian knew it was not real, her sub-conscious mind could not make that distinction. She forgot it was only an exercise, and her sub-conscious took control, making all of you forget too." The older Martian explained.

"I-I'm so sorry," M'gann's voice was only above a whisper.

"This isn't her fault! Why didn't you stop the exercise?" Conner exploded.

"We tried. But M'gann had a death grip on the scenario. Even Artemis, who should have awakened upon her death, was so convinced she had passed, she slipped into a coma. I realized I would have to wrest control from Miss Martian's sub-conscious from within. But upon entering the reality, I was overwhelmed from your collective emotions. There was too much noise to think clearly. To remember why I was there. The deaths of Aqualad, Superboy, and Element helped, but only when the mothership exploded, and Robin and Kid Flash were silenced, my mind cleared enough to remember my true purpose: To shock M'gann out of the exercise, before your comas became permanent.. My apologizes. I had no idea a training exercise could be so dangerous. So damaging," M'gann burst into tears again, and I wasn't much better.

Robin's hand replaced Batman's as everything just came crashing upon me. It was relieving to find out it wasn't all real, but I couldn't help but feel responsible. What if this was real? What if my friends actually died saving me?

I don't think I could handle it.


	11. Chapter 11: Therapy Session

**Since Disordered is such a short episode, especially from the view of one person, I decided to crank out the next chapter in under two hours, a first! Also a first, getting two chapters done in a day! Maybe if I'm feeling up to it, I'll write a third chapter! And two chapters tomorrow, and I'll be all caught up, and slow down on the updates.**

**Thank you again to all who read and review, so for you, here's Therapy Session!**

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><p>Good to know I wasn't the only one who had a rough night. It was the day right after our "exercise", and everyone was in the kitchen. No one was speaking, of course, probably replaying all the scenes in their heads, just like I was doing. I kept seeing Kaldur and Artemis die right before my eyes. I kept seeing M'gann sobbing, I kept seeing Wally's green eyes, wide with shock, just before I died myself.<p>

It almost like I was still dead. I was only aware of the faint movement of my chest, but nothing else. My body, as well as my brain, were numb with pain. I clutched a pillow close to my chest, but not aware that my muscles were screaming in protest.

I could barely keep my eyes open on the comfy couch, but I wouldn't give into sleep. That was the only reason why I didn't go home, didn't sleep. I was scared of the nightmares that would haunt me. Judging by my friends' eyes, they couldn't sleep either.

M'gann wanted to cook something, but all she did was stir her pudding of sadness.

Oh look, Bats thought it was a great idea to have Black Canary be a therapist. Call me crazy, but I don't think anyone wanted to move, much less talk about what happened to us. Because, I figured, we were all still dead on the inside. No amount of talking would repair the trauma.

Never the less, Conner went first. His session probably went terrible, because no more than two minutes later, he stormed out of the make-shift therapy room and into the hangar.

Artemis went next, but wasn't too pleased about it. From her expression, I assumed she felt she didn't need therapy, most likely because she "died" before everything else happened. She came out looking more pissed than when she came in.

Kaldur volunteered for the next session, probably to get it over with. Or maybe he really wanted to talk. I have no idea. Being with the Team proved I'm really bad at guessing emotions and motives. Well, I've always had that problem, look what happened with me before!

Wally went with no hesitation, no guilt or sadness written in his features. I took a good look at the ginger speedster. His face carried a happy demeanor, but his eyes held something else. The green orbs betrayed his true feelings. Hey, I guess I am good at this after all! Wally further tried to convince us, convince _himself, _that he was fine by taking a bowl of popcorn into the therapy room. He came out with the same nonchalant air, but his eyes were even more tortured.

Without a word, Robin stood up and walked in right after Wally walked out. I could certainly guess what was troubling him: he became leader, but wasn't proud of his actions, sending us to our "deaths". After being with the Boy Wonder nonstop, you pick up on things about him, even if he refuses to share them himself.

The secrecy of Robin, and Artemis too, almost made me want to slap them. Of course, I'm being hypocritical. I haven't even told my friends my favorite color, but yet, I trust them with my life, and they trust me with theirs. Robin and Artemis have nothing to fear. Their pasts shouldn't, _couldn't, _be worse than mine. Their parents didn't die right before their eyes, their siblings didn't have the manta of "when the going gets tough, you get going". They didn't work for a certain-

I stopped with my thoughts. Anyone could be listening to them. And my secrets, the deep, dark secrets, were the ones I was determined to keep.

Megan floated into the room. I felt a tinge of something different for her. I felt for all my friends, but the green Martian was the one I was most worried about. Megan was the sweetest person one could ever meet, but this was a devastating blow to that personality. I feared that my dear friend would never recover, never grace us with that smile and kind personality again.

Megan didn't float out, she nearly walked. What surprised me was that she was white, instead of her usual green. She was relatively unchanged, her eyes still downcast onto the floor. She picked up her bowl of pudding and continued stirring.

I guess it was my turn. I set the pillow beside me on the couch and took the short walk to the door. I felt my friends' stares on my back, and I knew exactly why. I was the new girl, the one who haven't revealed how she reacts. It made sense to watch me, to see how I carried myself with this, this, abomination. Unlike Wally, I had practice to not show my emotions, with my face or my eyes. The practice faded yesterday, but I gained it back, not wanting everyone to see what I was thinking, what I could possibly talk about with Black Canary.

I sat in the seat across from Canary, staring at the floor. She watched me with those hawk eyes of hers, waiting for a reaction.

"I FEEL SO GULITY!" I roared, and the ground gave a slight tremor.

"Lexi, it's ok, let it out," Canary soothed.

"Both Kaldur and Artemis died saving me! I couldn't protect them, I couldn't save them!"

"But you saved Wally," the blonde pointed out, grabbing on the chair steady herself from the earthquake.

"Quite a redemption," I scoffed.

"I bet he feels grateful, Lexi, you saved his life." The ground calmed down.

"Only to have him die a few minutes later!" The wind picked up inside the room, blowing our hair out to the side.

"I think I get it. Your extreme emotions control your powers, instead of you."

"Only when I under extreme stress, but the rest of the time I'm in control!" I burst out, "You can't tell them!"

An eyebrow raised, "Why not?"

"It-It'll make me.."

"Weak?"

"Vulnerable," I corrected.

"Lexi, you are the only member on the Team who no one knows a thing about. Batman doesn't even know your middle name."

I felt pride blossom inside of me, but quickly pushed it away, "So?"

"So, I advise you tell them. That's the way to bond."

I hated this about me, but when approached on delicate subjects, I turned cold and sarcastic. And downright mean.

"They're my secrets," I snarled.

"Secrets don't stay buried, you should know that. And I'm not asking you to pour out your life's story. Just the little things. For instance, what is your favorite color?"

I was already at the door by then, but I turned my head over my shoulder, "Purple," I whispered, then left Canary there, staring at the doorway.

* * *

><p>Conner came back, along with Wolf and the Sphere, who was a girl? He promised to tell a story later, and headed immediately into the therapy room. I guess he was finally ready to talk.<p> 


	12. Chapter 12: Martian Invasion

**As with Disordered, Secrets is another short chapter from first person perspective.**

**O.O I did not coordinate my title of this story with the title of this episode! Promise! Though Greta is one of my favorite Young Justice Comic characters ^^**

**Kay, R&R!**

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><p>Halloween was my favorite holiday. Always have, always will. I mean, this was the one day out of the year where you could wear a superhero costume and not be suspected, get candy from random strangers, and scare the heck out the of little kids.<p>

I wasn't one for that last one, but the two former where right up my alley.

M'gann invited us to the dance that her school was holding.

"Everybody will be there! The whole Team and everything!" She giggled in delight the day before.

"Maybe you should bring a date," Artemis jabbed me with her elbow.

"In your dreams, blondie," I rolled my eyes, but a grin escaped from all the joking. Obviously they were talking about Robin, and obviously they knew the answer to every question they asked.

But, with the way Robin favored Zatanna over me, and my embarrassing act during the _exercise, _I had no idea where we stood right now. I chose not to think about it, telling myself that I had other things to do then ponder over my relationship with the Boy Wonder. I mean, I would NOT drive myself crazy with worry at what he thought of me. Quite frankly, I could care less. If we weren't on the same team, I wouldn't even have to interact with him. But we were, and I did.

A certain howl of a certain werewolf snapped me out of my thoughts. I grinned at Wally's imitation, and put the finishing touches on my costume. One last glance in the mirror, and I exited my living quarters. Every member of the Team was issued one, if they couldn't, or just didn't, go home.

Wally, Conner, and Megan were the only ones there so far, Wolf snoring on the floor. Megan was fixing the bandages around Conner's head. I assumed he was going as a mummy.

Megan stepped back from the two, and morphed into a zombie bride.

"Woah, babe, eat my brains anytime," Wally practically drooled.

I clapped, "Very impressive!"

Three pairs of eyes landed on me, looking at my costume. I was a black cat, and got the costume down to a T.

Black long-sleeved shirt, black pants, black shoes. My hair was adorned with a headband (Not my uniform one!) covered in faux fur, and two ears were stabled onto it. The same fur covered my tail, the fabric attached to my belt. My 'paws' were black gloves with pink construction paper on the palms, simulating the pads. Lastly, my nose was covered in pink paint, black whiskers covered my cheeks.

"Wow, Lexi! You look amazing!" Megan complimented.

"Like wise!"

Wally slipped his arm through mine, "Can I play with the kitty?" He asked, flirting.

I shoved him away good naturedly, "No, you cannot. Besides, don't dogs and cats hate each other?"

Green eyes gleamed, "We could make a compromise."

"Great minds think alike!" We turned and saw Captain Marvel, his face painted to match Megan's, a candy bag in his hand.

"Captain, you look terrific!" Megan said sweetly, "Are you going to a Halloween celebration to?"

"Well sure, I'm going with, I mean, you did invite the _whole_ team, right?"

"Yeah, we'll all be at the dance. So don't worry about us, go. Have a good time as your party."

"RECOGNIZED: ARTEMIS B07. ZATANNA ZATARA: A03." I scoffed at the mention of the magician's daughter. There she was, looking obnoxiously pretty as a witch. On a lighter note, Artemis looked great as a vampire.

"Oh hey, Zatanna. You look great," the blonde said.

"Oh thanks, you too!" Zatanna beamed at Artemis as they made their way over.

"Lexi, that costume fits you perfectly!" She added to me.

"I made it myself. It should fit," I snarled, but after everyone stared at me, I added, "Thanks. So does yours."

"Oh, look: Zombie Captain Marvel. That's hilarious. Is the Justice League having a party, because my dad didn't mention it." I snorted at the thought. Stiffs like them, having a party?

"No, no, no, no! See I..fine! I'm going trick-or-treating," Marvel flew to the zeta-tube, and it lit up, "And I'm NOT sharing my candy!" He was gone.

Megan continued with Conner's costume, and Zatanna asked Artemis something I couldn't hear. What ever it was, it upset my friend greatly. I felt my blood boil. How could she do that to Artemis? The archer stormed towards the zeta-tube, and Zatanna ran after, probably apologizing. Artemis halted, said something in response, and Zatanna switched their fake costumes into their real uniforms. Artemis grinned, and the two headed for the hangar.

"Hey," Wally said, noticing my expression, "What's gotten into you?"

* * *

><p>The walk to Happy Harbor was short, to say the least. Megan led the way into the gym, where it was decorated with typical Halloween things: spiders, ghosts, pumpkins, black and orange everywhere. Music pounding through the air, and there were a lot of people.<p>

"It's too bad the rest of the Team couldn't make it," Megan said.

Conner surveyed the people, then said, "You've got to be kidding!"

I followed his gaze. Everywhere you looked, there were kids in superhero costumes. It was like a huge slap in the face.

"If I knew it was a superhero party, I would've went as myself," I joked to Wally.

"No kidding!" He replied back.

"You look amazing!" A Black Canary took Megan's hands. With the Black Canary was a bumblebee, a Batman on his phone, and a Superman with dark skin.

"Who did your makeup, gurl?" asked the bumblebee.

The dark skinned Superman surveyed Conner, "Horror victim?"

"Mummy," He corrected, "You?"

The boy spread his arms wide, "Superman, done right." In what world?

"Yeah, good luck with that," It was like Conner read my thoughts.

"Wally, Lexi, this is Wendy, Karen, Mal, and-" She looked around for the Batman, who was texting furiously.

"Ignore Marvin, he thinks we're being invaded by Martians," Wendy rolled her eyes, unimpressed. I flinched with such words, remembering the failure that happened a few weeks.

"Hey, you're Black Canary, right?" I said to Wendy.

She beamed, "Yeah! And you are, uh, Catwoman?"

I looked at her, "No. Just a cat."

"Oh. Well it looks great!" The girl covered up her mistake.

"I never said that, it's just, reports are all over the interwebs! And I'm not the only one getting them!"

As if summoned by Marvin's words, my phone started buzzing. I ignored it.

"I mean, Martians aren't invading, just a prank gone viral, right?"

"Of course Martians aren't invading. Ever heard of Martian Manhunter? Martians aren't hostile," said a older guy with an eye patch.

"Of course not," Megan said through clenched teeth.

The lights went out, and groans of protest followed.

"Everyone calm down! It's probably just a blown fuse!" said the eye patch man.

"Says here Martians have taken over New Haven and Province!" Mal said. I rolled my eyes at Megan. We all knew Martians weren't evil, because the Martian in front of us baked us cookies after every mission!

"Spotted in Happy Harbor, too," Wendy added.

"Guys, guys! It's a Halloween cliché."

"Meaning it happens a lot?" Karen retorted.

A voice spoke over the inter-com, "Attention, homeland security advises everyone to stay inside the gymnasium. This is not due to any alien invasions."

Voices exploded, and people were angry.

_We should call the Cave,_ Megan said through our mind link.

_Wait,_ Conner cautioned, and looked at the bleachers.

"For your own safety, please stay inside," The inter-com instructed.

Conner looked back at us, a devious smile on his face. That only meant one thing: we were going to mess with someone's head.

"THE MARTIANS ARE COMING! THE MARTIANS ARE COMING!" Wally ran towards Marvin, faking a scared look on his face.

"Look out! They have disintegration rays!" Conner pointed. I cringed as I saw Artemis die again in my mind, but I had to keep focus and not miss my cue.

A beam of light hit Wally, and I created a tornado around the ginger. He used his superspeed to get away fast, and screamed horribly while he did it. In Wally's place was Megan, using her powers to disguise herself as a clichéd Martian. Megan roared, and the look on Marvin's face was priceless.

"Run Marvin!" Conner pushed the geek, "I'll hold it off!" The clone ran towards the 'Martian' but Megan picked his up and smashed him into a wall with her telekinesis. Conner laid on the ground, and rolled his head for extra measure, to appear dead. Marvin ran into the school, screaming his little Batman head off.

Conner caught up, and we joined him.

I laughed, "We so got him!"

"Come on, we do not want to miss this!" We followed the screamer, and pushed open the doors into the gym.

Marvin was talking fast and animatedly, even admitting to pulling the prank.

"The Martian just killed two guys!"

"Which two guys?" asked Megan, behind him.

"Those two guys!" He pointed to Conner and Wally, both looking very much alive.

"Wait! I, uh, oh."

"Marvin!" Wendy placed her hands on her hips.

"Trick-or-treat?" Marvin shrugged sheepishly.

At least we got a lot of candy.


	13. Chapter 13: Rivals no more

**WHAT? THREE CHAPTERS IN ONE DAY? WHAT IS THIS BLASPHEMY? Lol, sorry. So, one more episode before I'm all caught up! I guess that's both a good and bad thing. Good because I won't be tearing out my hair trying to post all the episodes, and a bad thing because I'll be slowing down with the updates!**

**Ah, and a huge thank you to Synk, who reviews every chapter! And a huge thank you to all who reads/reviews/favs/alerts! I wish I could hug you all!**

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><p>The Bio-ship had landed, and Conner came out with another crate, with M'gann following, "carrying" two crates with her powers.<p>

"Did you get everything?" Bats asked the two.

"Everything on you list, Batman," M'gann said, "Plus groceries."

"Cookie fixes?" Wally shifted through on of the crates.

"Snickerdoodles."

"Babe, you rock my world," Wally breathed.

"I hope you're planning to share them!" I called, overhearing. It was always a competition between Wally, I, and chocolate.

"If you can take them from me," The ginger taunted, waving the box of snickerdoodles in the air.

I readied myself to run, but the elevator door opening stopped me.

"Glad your back Zatanna. Does this mean you're officially joining the Team?" Artemis asked.

I turned away from the two, but I still heard Zatanna answer, "I dunno. Zatara's so overprotective, I mean, just getting him to let me visit takes a full day's wheedling!"

_Good, _I thought silently. She didn't need to be on this Team. We were fine without the girl's interference.

"I wish he'd just give me a little space!" Zatanna cried, frustrated. A crate smashing open made me turn to where the adults were stand, _but there were no adults._

"Bats?" I asked as Zatanna screamed, "DAD!" We all collectively gasped. They just disappeared without warning!-

Instead of freaking ourselves over their sudden disappearance, we had to take action. Kids from around the world reported that adults, eighteen or over, were all gone with the wind. We had to take care of the ones that couldn't care for themselves. We all set on a search, except for Zatanna and Robin, who stayed behind to monitor it.

Wally thought it was a good idea to set up a refugee camp in Happy Harbor's high school gym. The one we partied in just five days ago. The Team branched out, starting at the school and checking every home for defenseless kids. By the time Wally and Megan came back, Artemis and I decided to keep the kids entertained. We sang songs and put on silly shows, relieved every time the children laughed.

"Did you call home?" Artemis asked Wally as the two approached.

"No answer," He replied grimly.

"You could zeta there," Artemis said gently.

"I've been collecting kids all day, I don't need to see another empty house."

"What about you?" Wally turned to me, "Did you have a chance to call your parents?"

"Uh, yeah. They weren't home," Not exactly a lie. They weren't home, and they never will be.

"Got three more!" Conner announced when he walked in. The sight of his uncomfortable face and the kids climbing on him would make anyone laugh.

* * *

><p>Aqualad summoned us back to the Cave to present a pod cast to the children and teenagers. Once that was done, Zatanna thought she was ready to do the locator spell. The girl held up her wand, said the magic words, and abracadabra, the location was revealed!<p>

"Coordinates locked. Roanoke Island. You did it!" Robin congratulated her.

"It works!" A boy suddenly appeared in the Cave, shocking all of us.

"Where did you come from? Who are you?" Aqualad asked the boy.

"Quick! Read my mind!" the boy told Miss Martian.

The Martian's eyes glowed for a few seconds, then she gasped, "He's Captain Marvel!"

"Yeah, and I'm Speedy Gonzales," Kid Flash sarcastically remarked, "Look, just because he believes he's Captain-"

"Gee, Wally, do I really have to bring you nachos and pineapple juice to get on your good side?" the boy asked, a mischievous glint in his blue eyes.

We all glanced at each other, who else would know what Captain Marvel served Wally when he first broke his arm? That's right, Captain Marvel would.

"There will be threats in both dimensions. We may not be familiar with our opponents, but the key to this mission is a coordinated simultaneously planned attack," Aqualad was saying. I knew that somewhere, in the other dimensions, Bats was saying the same thing.

"Our best chance against sorcery is to strike fast, disrupt their efforts, and hope the two dimensions merge naturally back into one." Once we got our plan settled with Bats and Zatara(with the help of Captain Marvel), we boarded the Bio-ship.

Or, I was going to, but a word from Zatanna stopped me.

"Lexi?" I turned. Zatanna was standing alone, looking quite small.

"Yeah?"

"Why do you hate me?" She burst out, bright blue eyes wide.

I glanced back at my friends who were waiting with us, and sighed, "Zatanna, I don't hate you. Since all of our friends seem to like you, I have no reason to quarrel. But you do seem overly perfect, like you have the world in the palm of your hand."

"Lexi, let me tell you now," An intense gaze locked me in place, "I am not perfect, not by a long shot."

* * *

><p>We had to be sneaky on the way to Roanoke Island. The Bio-ship had dropped us off without a sound, and floated away just as quietly.<p>

Robin and Artemis shot three projectiles each, but the witch kid with the cat, Klarion, I was informed, created a force field and deflected them.

"That's the best you can do?" Jeez! His voice was like nails on a chalkboard! Klarion held up his hand, and red lightning hit Artemis and Robin straight on. The three other boys charged at the kid, but he created another force field, sending all three in different directions.

Zatanna stepped up and said a spell, but it did just as much as the others' attacks did.

"Pfft, baby magic," Klarion scoffed, and he spoke in turn a long series of words. Zatanna was launched off the ground, but Superboy caught her.

Miss Martian hurled rocks at the force field, trying to break through, but the witch kid breathed fire, making her float up.

Using the water from around the island, I created a huge wave, and it headed towards the force field. I bounced off, flooding the area, but I picked the water up again, turned into icicles, and threw them. They were useless, just as the others were.

Artemis shot an arrow at the cat I hadn't noticed before, but Klarion turned the arrow into a ball of yarn, which the cat was uninterested by.

"Heheh, show them what a familiar of a Lord of Chaos can do, Teekel!" The cat morphed, and looked more like a giant saber-tooth tiger rather than a plain cat. Superboy ran at the cat, but swiped him away like a fly. But the cat-tiger-thing wasn't done. As soon as Superboy ran out of the way, he was thrown again by the freakish beast.

"Eh, so you teamed up with the grownups," Klarion sneered, "Teamwork is so overrated."

The kid shot blue lightning out of thin air, hitting Artemis and Robin. Zatanna and I ran over to them, but I was knocked down by the same blast of lightning.

"Element!" I heard Zatanna cry, and I struggled at move my body but with no avail.

_Don't shout, Billy. I linked you telepathically to the others. _Miss M's voice was in my head.

_That's so cool! I mean, it's the gem, at the center of the pentagram! Destroy it, and we win!_

"That's all I needed to know," I heard Zatanna say. I opened my eyes, and twisted my head just a little. The magician had something in her hands, and I knew I've seen it before, but someone else made that connection.

"Zatanna!" Aqualad cried.

"Stop!" Kid Flash shouted.

And it clicked. Zatanna was putting on the Helmet of Fate! A flash of yellow, and Zatanna was no more, just a female version of Doctor Fate.

"Klarion!" Fate said, "This ends now!" I couldn't see what was happening, but judging by the booms, there was a battle between Fate and Klarion.

"Ha! There, see!" No, Klarion, I couldn't see, "When the world's divided, the Helmet splits you! You're not all here, Nabu! And you're losing hold on that poor, soon to be dead, girl!"

NO! He couldn't kill Zatanna. He wouldn't kill Zatanna, would he?

"Who, heh, gave herself up for nothing!"

"No, witch boy! Fate decrees her sacrifice will not be in vain!"

Klarion shouted a couple of times, then was silent. I guess the battle was over, and Fate had won.

"Now Kid!" I heard Aqualad shout. There was a gust of wind as the speedster ran past.

"Catch!"

Kid Flash cried, and there was a few seconds of nothing.

Fate's voice sounded up above, and she, uh, he, was casting a spell.

Klarion was talking, but I wasn't really listening. There was a cackle, and the silence that followed told be that he left the scene.

"Aren't you gonna stop him?" Kid Flash asked.

"To what end?" Klarion is chaos personified. He can not be contained," When Fate said this, I felt movement return to my body. With a groan and a heave, I was on my feet, tittering towards the pentagram. A sight stopped me.

"Bats!" I cried, running forward to meet him. I swayed forward when I stopped, still dizzy.

"Easy, Element, you're still weak," Aqualad cautioned.

"Pfft, weak? I know no such thing!" I scoffed.

Robin and Artemis woken up too, and walked over.

"Did we win?" asked the Boy Wonder.

"At a cost," Aqualad spoke gravely.

"Fate!" Zatara called. The lord just stared back at him, "Great Nabu, release my daughter."

"…No," Doctor Fate said, shocking us.

"Witnessing a havoc rising in these hours, the world needs Doctor Fate, and the girl's natural affinity for the mystic arts makes her the perfect candidate!"

"You can't do that!" Artemis shouted.

"She has her own life to live!" Robin added.

"Don't take Zatanna away from us!" I yelled, surprising myself.

"Kent would never allow you-" Kid Flash was cut off.

"Kent Nelson did object, strenuously, so I released his spirit to the afterlife. He is gone," Doctor Fate told the ginger.

"Take me instead," Zatara offered, "My skills are already at their peak, my body is physically stronger, better to withstand the strain of your power."

"All true. But if I remove the helmet, what guarantee you will don it?"

"My word," Zatara said, and spoke his promise backwards.

Doctor Fate floated down to Zatara, and took off the helmet, revealing a confused Zatanna underneath.

"Dad!"

"Zatanna!" The two embraced. He whispered something to his daughter, and kissed her forehead, taking the Helmet into his hands.

"Take care of my girl," The magician faced us.

"You have my word," Bats told him.

"No, please, this was my fault! Dad, don't! DAD!" Zatanna screamed as Zatara slipped on the Helmet, permanently becoming Doctor Fate.

"Leave this to Fate," Doctor Fate took the four evil magicians to the sky, and vanished.

Zatanna dropped to her knees, her face a frozen mask of horror. Robin, Kid Flash, and Artemis all dropped down beside her. My heart twisted in pity. I knew what it was like to see your parents disappear in front of you.

I fell to my knees besides the black haired girl, and wrapped my arms around her shoulders, "I'm sorry, Zatanna, so sorry."

* * *

><p>The next day, we were dragging Zatanna's stuff into a room in the Cave.<p>

"My room's right next door, if you need anything," Megan said while placing a box on the floor.

"Thanks, I, uh, could use a little alone time, ok?" Zatanna said.

"Of course," She, Robin, and Megan exited the room with heavy steps. I stayed, staring at her, my one and only rival.

"Zatanna," I said, making her take her eyes off the floor, "I just want you to know that, even with everything that happened, I'm happy you joined the Team."

She lifted her lips to the smallest of smiles, "Thank you, Lexi. That means a lot coming from you." I nodded, and left the room also. Because of what happened to her father, Zatanna and I now saw eye-to-eye, even if I was the only one who felt empathy.

The door closed behind me, but that couldn't drown out Zatanna's heartbreaking sobs.


	14. Chapter 14: Happy Birthday, Wally!

**Not my best work, I must admit :/ I loved Coldhearted, but, for some reason, it didn't really work out the way I hoped.**

**Oh well. BUT, I am all caught up now ^^ That makes me happy. Time to start the 'real' plot of Secrets!**

**R&R, I appreciate it! **

* * *

><p>November 11th, a certain redhead speedster's birthday. I wasn't surprised that yesterday, Robin told me we were throwing a party for Wally at the Cave. I mean, he's been hinting at one for weeks.<p>

So, about fifteen minutes before the party, I locked the door to my house and made my way the phone booth.

_Oh great, it's snowing, _I looked up into the gray sky. The white fluffy flakes fell all around, coating me in the stuff. I snuggled down in my cream colored parka, and walked around the corner to the alley.

Of course, there was black ice under my foot the minute I took a step. Landing straight on my back with an oof, I was lucky no one from the Team saw me, because they would never let me live it down.

I looked around to make sure no one was watching, then I evaporated all the ice from my house to the phone booth.

"RECOGNIZED: ELEMENT B08" The computer greeted me in the cheery stillness.

"'Bout time you got here," Robin remarked as I shrugged off my coat, revealing a pale blue turtle neck underneath. My hair gets wild when wet, so I contained it with a cute pink hat.

Looks like I wasn't the only one with that problem.

Zatanna smiled hesitantly at me from Robin's side, her black hair lit up by a purple hat.

"Sorry. It was icy," I answered the bird after returning Zatanna's grin.

"Ok everybody, places!" M'gann called after putting a second cake on the table, "I think he's coming!"

Instantly, someone killed the lights. There was a lot of shuffling as people found comfortable positions.

"RECOGNIZED: KID FLASH B03. ZETA TUBE NETWORK NOW OFFLINE DUE TO EXTREME ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS," The computer announced Wally's arrival.

"Woah, I just made it! Be a tragedy, if I missed my own.."

"Now!" The lights flickered on.

"SURPRISE!" We all shouted, goofy smiles on our faces.

Wally feigned surprise, "WHHHAAATTTTT? Oh, you guys! You shouldn't have!"

"Right, not like you've been hinting for days or anything," Robin replied sarcastically.

"We made two cakes!" M'gann said.

"Awesome! What will you guys eat?"

"We'll split the cupcake! Make a wish!"

"Way ahead of you!" Those green eyes closed for a moment, and then Wally blew out all the candles in one breath. A round of applause followed.

M'gann started cutting the cake, handing the first piece to Wally, a second one to me.

"Thanks!" I smiled, then settled down next to Wally.

I took a bite of the sweet frosting, then swallowed, "Happy Birthday, Wally!"

"Thank you, sweet cheeks," He purred, "How's about a sweet sixteen kiss?"

I looked at him for a moment, then leaned over and pressed my lips to his cheek, "There's your kiss."

"It'll do," Wally smiled, then turned his attention to M'gann.

I picked myself from the floor and walked over to where Zatanna, Robin, and Artemis were hanging out.

"What are we talking about?" I asked, unusually giddy.

"How Wally keeps pinning for M'gann, but she's already with Conner," Zatanna explained.

"Should we tell him?" I asked, and we all looked towards the ginger, his flirting face on.

"He is the only one who doesn't know," Robin mused, a smirk on his face.

"Then please, allow me," Artemis smiled evilly, making her way to where Wally was shoving cake into his face.

Artemis sat down on the couch, and whispered something into Wally's ear.

"Awww, man!" Walls' reaction was priceless. Robin, Zatanna and I immediately cracked up.

"Attention, Team, suit up, polar stealth. Mission briefing in five," Bats' voice sounded over the inter-com.

* * *

><p>"Where's Flash?" asked Wally, looking around for his Uncle.<p>

"Flash and Red Tornado already have their assignments. A massive ice storm paralyzed North America from coast to coast. Satellite imagery has detected five flying ice fortresses, source unknown, which seem to be responsible and must be stopped."

"But can't the Watch Tower blow them out of the sky or something?"

"What's a Watch Tower?" Zatanna asked, confused.

Bats sighed, clearly annoyed, "The League's orbiting headquarters is not weaponized, and with both Green Lanterns off-world, I need all hands on deck."

"Does that mean what I think it means?" Robin asked.

"We're fighting with the League?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Woah, really?" Wally exclaimed.

"Superboy, use the super-cycle to rendezvous with the Batplane at ice fortress one. You'll drop off Robin and Aqualad, and continue on with Wolf to meet up with Black Canary and Red Tornado at ice fortress two," The Caped Crusader turned to us, "Miss Martian, Artemis, Zatanna, and Element, take the Bio-ship to rendezvous with Green Arrow and Martian Manhunter at ice fortress three. Other Leaguers will deal with fortresses four and five. Sending all coordinates now."

"Uh, Batman? I think you skipped-"

"Kid Flash, a young girl in Seattle is in desperate need of a heart transplant. With all conventional air traffic grounded by the storm, you'll need to pick up the donor heart in Boston, and run it 3,000 miles cross-country."

The disappointment on my friend's face was painful to look at.

"Who is this girl?" Wally cried.

"Does it matter?" Bats narrowed his eyes.

"No, of course not. But can't we zeta-"

"Zeta tubes are offline, sorry," Robin interrupted.

"Right, then how can I say no?" Wally put on a fake smile.

"Guess I won't be needed stealth," The speedster touched his symbol, turning his uniform canary yellow once more.

"Speedy delivery boy, at your service." I half expected him to take a bow.

"Don't worry, Wally, you'll get your chance," I told him softly, just before I entered the Bio-ship.

* * *

><p>I landed with a roll on the ice fortress. I smirked as I realized this was my element. My fight. I could totally do this in the snow, since it was a infinite water supply.<p>

Raising my arms out, the snow stopped falling for a moment, then turned into thousands of ice shards. The ice shards moved at my command, and lodged themselves into three cannons. They all burst except one who got a shot on my ankle. I cried out in pain as I felt something break.

"Element!" Miss Martian appeared after plugging one of the snow ports. She wrapped her arm around my shoulders, floating me high into the air.

Angry with the injury, I conjured up three big icicles, all lodging themselves into the fortress, exposing wires and other electronic parts.

Zatanna said a spell, and the whole thing exploded, flames flickering as it went down.

I smiled at the magician, "Nice job!"

"Thanks!" Her eyes expressed concern as I winced in pain.

"We need to get you medical help," Miss Martian's breath tickled my ear, and we floated towards the Bio-ship, our faces red with cold. One look behind me confirmed that the fortress was defeated, and I took pride in the way it belched smoke.

* * *

><p>"Dude, I just heard! You saved an entire country! Major kudos." I followed Robin into Wally's souvenir room, where our favorite ginger was looking at a medical backpack.<p>

"What can I say? I'm the man!" Wally turned, and his eyes fixed on my crutches and wrapped ankle.

"Woah, what happened to you?" He asked.

"Got shot in the foot. Don't worry!" I added when I saw his horrified expression, "It's only sprained, and a little blood. I should be up and running by our next mission."

Wally smiled, relieved, but I could tell his mind was somewhere else. And that was ok, because he saved the life of that little girl. Probably the best gift he could get on his birthday.


	15. Chapter 15: The Start of the End

**And thus begin's Lexi's story. You all have no idea how excited I am to present this to you all, my readers, who I consider my friends! ^^ I will admit I'm very apprehensive about showing this, because I have no clue about how you all react to how the story plays out. But, I would love to hear your thoughts.**

**Thanks for reading, review please! ^^**

* * *

><p>We all figured it would be an awesome mission. Batman told us suit up and be in the Bio-ship ASAP. The whole team (Zatanna was on a retreat with her school. Couldn't be avoided) took guesses and placed bets on what it could possibly be.<p>

"Taking down the Joker?" M'gann politely suggested.

"Nah. Dealt with him. Ra's Al Ghul?" Robin interjected.

"Not likely, what about Clayface?" Wally offered.

Kaldur spoke, "Batman apprehended him a while ago. If I had to guess, maybe Hook? Or Black Spider.."

"What do you think, Lexi?" Artemis asked, and suddenly, all eyes were on me.

I shrugged, not knowing many enemies, "I don't really know," I voiced the first person I thought of, "Sportsmaster?"

"Hah! That's a good one!" Wally laughed, while Artemis became tense.

"It better not be him, or we'd be in trouble," I heard her murmur.

"Does it matter who it is?" Conner sighed, "It'll just be the same. Find the dude, kick his butt, and return home. Nothing to change the routine."

Glances were shared. He was right. We were stuck in a rut.

"So, we need to shake things up?" Robin asked.

"A plot twist!" Wally exclaimed.

"If we were in a story," I commented, "You're all right. We need to add a little spice to our missions."

"How about-" Artemis was cut off by Bats' voice over the inter-com.

"Team, here are the coordinates for your mission," The two points intersected on the holographic map on a familiar place.

"Gotham?" Robin voiced my concerns.

"Did something happen?" I asked.

"Yes. Someone has been burning through important buildings in Gotham. I want you to check it out and take out the vandal."

A shocked silence, "We're just taking out your trash?" I sputtered.

"Yeah, I could do this alone! There's no reason for the whole Team going!" Robin exclaimed.

"There _is _a reason," Bats said harshly, "Resources have told me that this vandal is unlike any other. He uses deadly precision, and targets only high ranking buildings. Another thing, he rearranges the wreckage into this form," The holomap turned into several images, all with the junk left over from the attacks.

My gut twisted as I stared at the symbol. The same one over and over again. I knew that symbol somewhere, but my brain refuses to let me remember it.

"..He mostly likely will be one of the most dangerous villains you have faced," Batman was saying as I zoned back in.

"Right. Take down the creep, don't get hurt," Wally said in a nutshell.

"Good luck," The transmission ended.

"Switch to stealth," Aqualad instructed, "We're going in."

* * *

><p>The Bio-ship dropped all of us off at the latest site of the attacks: the workplace of a well known official whose name I forgot.<p>

"Who could do something like this?" Artemis murmured, bending down to pick up a piece of rubble.

"Someone whose intentions are not good," Aqualad replied, stating the obvious.

"This was a disaster. Heavy on the dis," Robin grimaced.

"Do you think he's still around?" Kid Flash asked. On cue, an explosion was set off, not too far from our location.

"I believe so," Artemis sarcastically replied. I didn't waste any time, sprinting in the direction of the blast.

"Element, wait!" Miss Martian called out from behind me. I wouldn't slow down. Call me conceited if you like, but I wanted, I _needed, _to get there first. I had to see if my hunch was right.

Racing with a speedster is never a good idea, so I raised the ground in certain places, changing paths often, and ducking through almost impassible places. It's not that I didn't trust my team, far from it, it's just, I needed to do this alone.

Alone. I guess old habits die hard.

I skidded to a stop in front of the collapsed building, breathing hard. An inferno raged as another cement block flew to ground with a dull thud.

I stared at the man silhouetted by the fire. His back was turned to me, his hands behind his back. He carried himself in the most confident way possible, not scared of being caught. Which is probably why he is standing there now, taking the time to appreciate his work, because he knew he could escape.

Well, he thought wrong.

"Come freely and I won't hurt you!" I called, my voice echoing through the still air.

The man didn't start, and took his time turning, and not even facing me fully. His one eye seemed to gleam with pleasant surprise.

"Well, well, well, this is certainly a surprise. Dear Alexandra, how have you been?"

My hunch was right.

"What are you doing here?" I spat at him.

"Merely working. It was boring, hiding everywhere."

I raised an eyebrow, unfazed by his low purr, "You're not one to hide."

"Not anymore. And you didn't answer my question," He point out, one palm wide open to give a false sense of peace.

"Better than I have ever been. Even more so when I throw your sorry butt into jail," I snarled.

"Ah. I see your hatred has not left you. Good," He chuckled.

"I have plenty of hate for you."

"Just me? You're over hating yourself? Your sister?" He stared at me, his demeanor not wavering to anger.

"I never said-"

"Element! Element where are you?" Robin's voice echoed a while away.

Now his eye widened, I truly surprised him, "You teamed up with the Boy Wonder? That _is _news."

"Element!" Miss Martian's voice sounded closer.

"E, c'mon! This isn't a game!" Kid Flash called, sounding even closer.

"A team? You have a whole _team? _What a change, dearest. A new name and everything," He said.

"Shut up," I hissed.

"Hm. I wonder: do they know you like I do? Not just the confident lady on the outside, but the withering, unstable little girl on the inside? Do they know that you-"

"SHUT UP!" I roared, springing at him. In the short distance that I covered, I remembered all the crimes I helped commit. All the pain I helped inflict. All the tears I helped shed. All because of this man.

I aimed a right hook at his temple, the sure-fire place that I knew would knock him out. But he merely swerved to the side, no effort what so ever.

He made a clucking noise with his tongue, "Tsk. Tsk. You've gotten soft since you left, Alexandra. Very slow, _very _sloppy." He lingered on the word 'very'.

I brought my left fist up to punch again, but he grabbed my wrist and turned me around, my arm pinned behind my back. One more jerk and my socket says goodbye to the bone.

"I wonder if your position is secure enough to have all your secrets spilled," He whispered in my ear.

I grunted, not giving an answer.

"I'll take that as a 'not secure enough'. Hmm, this is where the game gets interesting, doesn't it? Now, you have two options. Neither of them good. You can capture me, and give your little playmates a change to interrogate me. But, if you do, I will reveal all of your secrets. Even the ones only you and I know. The second option is to let me go, and your secrets stay safe…For now," An ominous laugh, "A lose-lose situation for you, dearest."

"But a win-win one for you," I muttered back. I twisted my head to look at him from the corner off my eye, "You always loved having the scenario in your favor one way or the other."

He taunted, "And you always had that annoying habit of remembering things you shouldn't."

I flicked my other wrist, making the ground pile up on itself, and making him let go of me.

I did a back handspring to make a little distance between me and him. But, he had no intention to fight me.

"Alexandra, I don't want to fight you. I only want to talk," He spread his arms out wide, like he wanted a hug.

A hug was far from what I gave him, "You just want to get back inside my head! You want to destroy my life again, especially right after I rebuilt it!"

"Heh. You're just making it worse. My being here has nothing to do with you ruining your own life," The gray eye narrowed, "Are you really sure you can be a hero? Not after all the things you have done, to yourself and others. Let's face the truth, Alexandra: you can't do this. You know this, even if you try to tell yourself that I am wrong."

I knew he was trying to plant the seeds of doubt in my mind, but I refused, "You're a monster," I said, low and serious

He laughed, "Not as dangerous as the ones inside you," He swiftly turned at the sound of unnaturally fast footsteps. Kid Flash.

"Element!" I heard the speedster's voice, and a second later, I saw the gleam of his red hair. Right behind him was Robin, and behind him, the rest of the team.

I never glanced at them, just kept my gaze on him, but he was already receding into the fire blazing behind him.

"We'll meet again, Alexandra," He disappeared, but I heard his faint voice say, "I promise."

Robin stared at me, "You know him?"

I breezed past them, "No," I said softly, "I don't."

* * *

><p>"And he said he knew her!" Robin said to Bats, very animated.<p>

The Dark Knight narrowed his eyes at me, "So you let him go."

"I didn't have a choice! He would've killed me!" _He would've exposed my secrets!_

"Well, at least we have found the culprit," Kaldur said.

"And next time, we'll take him down!" Artemis punched her fist into the palm of her other hand.

"Why wait now?" Conner asked.

"Because, unlike you, some of us need sleep!" Wally replied.

"Wally said it. I'm clocking out for the night," I fake yawned.

"Lexi, there's something you're not telling us," Batman stared, trying to intimidate me.

I didn't back down, "Me? Impossible! I have no secrets!"

"But he knew you! I heard him clearly say 'We'll meet again, Alexandra. I promise.'" You're hiding something!" Robin pointed an accusing finger at me.

"You know, you're really mature, pointing fingers without viable evidence!" I hotly replied, "Who knows, maybe he mistook me for someone else. There's a lot of Alexandras out there, and a lot of brunettes!"

"Woah woah woah woah! Your real name's Alexandra?" Wally asked. Artemis hit him as everyone else face-palmed.

"Lexi, you know you can tell us anything," M'gann said quietly.

"I know! I mean, I do! I can answer any questions you asked!" I exclaimed.

"Then who is he?" Robin asked.

"I told you, I have no idea! Why don't you take those feathers out of your ears?" I retorted.

"That's enough," Bats intervened before we could get in each other's faces.

"Hmph!" I sharply turned away from everyone, and headed to the zeta-tubes.

"I'll be back tomorrow," I announced, and with relief, the faces of my teammates faded away with the light.

* * *

><p>I slammed the door to my house, the noise echoing in the still air. I ran up the stairs, Mira hot on my heels. I jumped on my bed and curled into a ball. Tears flew freely onto my clothes and my sheets.<p>

_He's back. I can't believe he's back. He came back, just to ruin my life. He can't get over the past, and now it's gonna wreck my future! Everything I loved, doomed! And I worked so hard!_

Sometime after my mental breakdown, I fell into a fitful sleep, still in my uniform.

_I dreamed I was in a black void._

"_Hello?" I called. No answer. I walked a few steps ahead, but no light shone. There was no way to get out._

"_Alexandra. How good of you to visit me," I whirled around, and saw him standing there. _

"_Get out of my head, you don't belong," I growled._

"_Dearest, you know better than anyone: Places I don't belong make me want to go there even more."_

"_So you-" My sentence ended abruptly with the closing of his fingers around my throat. The pressure increased, and my lungs gasped for air._

"_You don't deserve all you had," He simply remarked, closing his fingers tighter. My throat burned._

"_Please…stop…" I pleaded._

_Right before my eyes, he morphed, becoming shorter, his clothes melting into a black and red costume, black hair fell into his eyes._

_It was Robin. _Robin _was choking me._

"_You betrayed us, Lexi. All of us," Robin's gloved hand tightened, and black dots swam in my vision._

"_No, I didn't….I mean-"_

"_You betrayed us, for him!"_

"_No, Robin, you don't understand!" Tears overflowed onto my cheeks and onto his glove, but he didn't notice._

"_All you secrets are out, Alexandra," A low voice, and an ever tightening grip._

"_No…No, you're all wrong!" More pressure._

_I felt myself losing grip on reality, or dreamality, or wherever I was._

"_NOOOO!"_

"NOOOOOO!" I jolted upright, throwing a blanket off of me. Mira jumped off the bed with a startled yelp.

I was sweating and breathing hard, and my throat fell like it was on fire. My nightmare, my fears, were coming true.

And I was powerless to stop it.

I got out of my bed and walked on shaky legs. My heart rate was faster than I ever thought it could go. Not good.

I walked into my bathroom, grabbing a plastic cup and filling it with cold water. I gulped the cup, a second, a third, but it didn't make the burning go away.

I stared at my room, fear clouding my thoughts.

_I have to get out of here. But where will I go? _I thought. Where indeed? There's only one place still open, even at this hour.

I quickly changed into my pajamas upon realizing I was still in my uniform. I reached out and numbly felt my fingers grip my pillow. I clutched it to my stomach, and made my way down the stairs.

I opened the door and slipped outside; the breeze did nothing to cool my still sweating forehead. I walked down the pathway, fuzzy slippers and all, and into the alley where the phone booth sat, waiting for someone to open it.

"RECOGINZED: ELEMENT B08"

* * *

><p>During the day, Mount Justice is a foreboding mass, concealing the base of the Justice League. At night, the place is even creepier. It makes one expect to see a ghost at any corner.<p>

M'gann entered from the hallway that held her room. She was rubbing own of her auburn eyes, "Lexi? What are you doing here?"

Both eyes were opened, wide now, "Oh my gosh! What happened? You look terrible!"

And I knew it. My eyes were most likely blood-shot, my face flushed with tear trails. My throat felt swollen, and it probably looked that way from M'gann's point of view. Not to mention I was in my dark blue pajamas and fuzzy slippers, the latter dirty from walking the streets of Gotham.

"Can I stay here?"

* * *

><p><strong>Let's play a little game. Whoever guesses who 'he' is, wins!<strong>

**Thanks again for reading!**


	16. Chapter 16: Not Megan, but M'gann

**So, I thought Image was a fabulous episode! The creators did a really nice job in playing out M'gann's fears. And the best part- Garfield Logan! Seriously, I squealed when I saw him. Beast Boy was always, and forever will be, one of my favorite DC characters! R&R, please! **

* * *

><p>Did I sleep? I don't remember. M'gann led me to my sleeping quarters, and closed the door, leaving me in darkness. The next thing I recall was Bats' voice filtering through the inter-com.<p>

"Kid Flash, Robin, Superboy, Miss Martian, and Element, report for mission briefing."

I fished for my uniform, keeping a spare here, and quickly threw it on. I tamed by hair with the headband, but I couldn't help but look at myself in the mirror.

My face was red and blotchy, and, like I predicted, my throat was unnaturally swollen. But what scared me the most was my eyes. They were dead, no emotion sparking in my aqua irises. Purple bags neatly complimented them. My mask covered the bags, but there was no cure for my eyes.

"Hey, Lex, what's shakin'?" Wally greeted me.

"Jeez, Lexi. You look terrible!" Robin said.

I rolled my eyes, "Thank you, Robin. That's what every girl wants to hear in the morning."

"Did you sleep?" M'gann asked, a hand on my shoulders.

I nodded, then shook my head, then ended up shrugging, "No idea."

Bats cleared his throat, and we turned to the computer.

"Is it our mysterious vandal?" Wally asked.

"No. This is Rumaan Harjavti, who is the democratically elected president of Qurac. Harjavti has been praised as a far, wise leader. A humanitarian, " Bats showed a clip of Bruce Wayne shaking hands with the president.

"Suree, and a friend of Bruce Wayne's," Wally said in a low voice.

"But, five days ago, Harjavti allied himself with the dictator of the neighboring nation of Biayla, Queen Bee."

"Humph. Not a fan," Conner scoffed.

"Few are. But Harjavti suddenly backs Queen Bee's claim that Qurac and Biayla were one nation in ancient times, and has announced the countries will re-unify in two days at a ceremony in Qurac."

There was a video of Harjavti speaking, "After the ceremony, I will step down as president, so that our rightful monarch, Queen Bee, may rule."

A clip of Queen Bee, "I lawed President Harjavti for unifying our peoples, and I will gladly come to Qurac to be crowned sole leader of our nation."

"And the Quraqui's are ok with this?" Wally asked.

"Hardly. They're well aware of the brutality of Queen Bee's reign, but Harjavti has censored the press, silenced all legitimate protests, and invited the Biaylian military into his country to enforce Marshal Law," Bats explained.

"Queen Bee has to be controlling Harjavti, doesn't she have the power to enthrall most men?" Robin asked.

"And some women, but not long distance. And we have confirmation she hasn't left Biayla. Something else is at work here," Bats narrowed his eyes, "Find out what. Robin, you're Team leader." Even I couldn't hide my shock. After Robin's failure in the exercise, was that really wise?

"Promotion! Sweet!" Wally held up his hand.

"Me? W-what about Aqualad?" Robin was obvious reluctant.

"Busy helping Aquaman. You're the next logical choice.

"Great," Robin sighed.

"Dude, you totally left me hanging!" Wally said, his hand still high in the air.

* * *

><p>I watched as the Bio-ship soared high above Earth, and then swung back down into the atmosphere.<p>

"E," I turned and saw Robin staring at me, "You ok?"

"I had a rough night," I admitted, then said, "Are you?"

"Not really. After what happened with the invasion, I don't think I want to be leader ever again."

I gave him a sympathetic glance, "It wasn't you're fault, Robin. You can't keep blaming yourself."

"You're right, I guess," The bird sighed, then spoke up to everyone, "We're right above the Qurac-Biaylian Border."

"A border the Biaylians are in the process of ignoring," Kid Flash growled.

I watched as the tanks ran across the fence, startling the herd of wildebeest, making them start a stampede.

"No opposition. Guess Harjavti really is in bed with Biayla," Superboy said.

"Wouldn't expect opposition here. It's an animal sanctuary," Robin told him.

"The _Logan _animal sanctuary?" Miss Martian exclaimed.

"You've heard of it?"

"Guys, tanks have caused a stampede! With civilians in harm's way!" Kid Flash reported.

"I see them. Woman and a small boy."

"We have to help them!" Miss M said.

"We're way off mission here…" Robin trailed off.

"And let them get hurt?" I almost shouted.

Robin looked at me, his eyes narrow. Then he said, "Deploy. But stealth mode! If the Biaylians know we hit them, it becomes an international incident."

The Bio-ship shot one of the tanks, making it swerve into the one next to it. Many soldiers climbed out, looking frantically for the shooter.

Robin released a batarang of knock out gas, while Kid Flash and I dealt with the others.

Superboy jumped ahead, taking one of the beasts and flinging it down, making the whole herd avoid him, and the two people behind him.

"ORYX!" I heard the little boy shout, and Miss M levitated the animal out of the chaos, unharmed.

"Woah!" the little boy said.

"Are you both alright?" Robin asked. The woman was tall and she had light blue eyes, her red hair pulled into a low ponytail. The son was about eight, and had big eyes the same color as his mother's his own red hair messy.

"Mom, mom, mom! We were just saved by Robin, and Kid Flash!" The little boy put a smile on my face.

"Well, Superboy, Miss Martian, and Element helped too," Kid Flash gestured to us.

"Oryx!" The boy ran to the gazelle, hugging it.

"We diverted the Biaylians around the sanctuary. You should be safe now," Robin told the woman.

"Uh, yeah! Coast is clear, Miss M. You can de-camou," Kid Flash told the camouflaged girl. Miss Martian took off her hood, and un-tucked her hair.

"H-Hi," She said sheepishly. I couldn't help notice how much Miss M looked like the woman.

"You may have made things worse. Biaylian border crossings are a way of life here. Usually they wreck a few fences and move on. Engaging them might have made us a target," The woman stiffly said.

"Mom! Uncool!" The boy said.

The woman sighed, "I'm sorry. I should thank you. This is my son Garfield. I'm-"

"Marie Logan! I can't believe I'm actually meeting you in person!" Miss Martian cut off.

Marie ran to the animal Superboy took down, "The Oryx is sick, and I think you injured this wildebeest," She said pointedly.

"Uh, sorry?" Superboy asked.

"I suppose it was unavoidable. But both need to go to our clinic."

"The others can do that. You and I can, uh, fix your fences!" The green girl said excitedly.

"That's not exactly our-"

"Robin, please!" Miss M turned to the bird, while Garfield turned to his mother, both begging relentlessly.

"Fine," Marie and Robin said, igniting cheers from the beggars.

* * *

><p>Morning came, the sun rising over the plains. It was very pretty, and the Logan house was very nice.<p>

Superboy looked up and saw a green monkey land on his shoulder.

"Hey, get it off!" Kid Flash cried as the animal jumped to his shoulder, taking his protein bar.

"It's ok. Meet Monkey!" Garfield laughed.

"Good name. But I hate monkeys!" Superboy said, and was pelted with the protein bar.

"Looks like Monkey hates Superboys," Robin smiled.

"Dude, be glad he only threw a protein bar!" Kid Flash smirked, and Garfield laughed harder.

"He is so cute!" I giggled at Garfield's laugh.

The redhead threw his arm around my shoulder, "But I'm cuter, right?"

I grinned up at him, "Sure! If you were eight and had big eyes and a goofy smile," I shrugged him off, and followed the boy into the house.

"So, pretty weird about Miss Martian and my mom, huh?" Gar asked as soon as we walked into the door. Robin and I collapsed onto the couch, while Kid Flash jumped into one of the matching chairs.

"What do you mean?" Superboy asked.

"I mean she looks exactly like Marie! You know, 'cept greener."

"She does?" Kid Flash asked.

"Well duh! Especially when Mom was a TV star on _Hello, Megan!_" Gar explained.

"Wait, 'Hello, Megan!' is a TV show?" The speedster asked again.

"I just thought it was something she said all the time," Robin said, confused.

"Yeah, on the TV show, way before we were born! Only one season, you can't even find it online," The boy looked at his TV, "I know Mom has a tape somewhere…"

Gar shifted around some tapes, and took one out, "_Hello, Megan! _The pilot episode," He blew the dust off, and stuck it in the player.

"Woah, you still have VHS. Where's you're A-track?" Kid Flash muttered.

"Wait. Air craft, headed this way," Superboy said, and we all dashed for the door.

"Gar, stay put," Robin instructed the little boy, who sat there, awed.

"What is it?" Miss Martian asked as we ran out of the house. Three airplanes came out of nowhere, and starting shooting at Marie.

Miss M covered Marie with her body, and Superboy covered the two with his.

"Where's my son?" Marie asked.

"I ordered him to stay inside," Robin told her.

"He's eight! He doesn't do orders! Marie exclaimed. To prove her point, the door to the barn opened, Garfield standing inside.

"Mom! It's ok, I got the animals out!" He called. The planes circled around, and shot the gas tank. It exploded, blowing the barn, and Garfield, sky-high.

"GARFIELD!" Marie cried, her eyes wide with fear. Miss M flew to the boy at top speed, and caught him. She floated back down, depositing the boy into his mother's arms.

The boy groaned, and Marie snapped, "I told you there would be consequences!"

"Always. Let's get him inside," Robin murmured.

* * *

><p>I ran with Kid Flash into the room where Garfield was being treated in.<p>

"He's in shock. He needs a blood transfusion, now," Marie stated, "Are any of you O negative?"

"No," Robin said.

"Sorry," Kid Flash added, while I shook my head,

"Neither am I. It's the hardest to match. I kept a supply of it in the clinic."

"I can run him to the nearest hospital," Kid Flash offered.

"The nearest hospital with a guaranteed supply is a half an hour top speed. Longer by Bio-ship," Robin rebuked.

"He doesn't have that much time. What's Superboy's blood type?" Marie was started to sound hysterical.

"He's Kryptonian. And Miss Martian-"

"Might be able to help," she walked into the room, somewhat shyly, "My shape-shifting occurs at the cellular level, I think I can morph my blood to match his."

"Please, try!" Marie gripped the Martian's arm.

"I'll need to concentrate. No distractions."

"Out! All of you, out!" Marie commanded, and we obliged.-

"And on top of all this, Harjavti steps down tomorrow!" Robin exclaimed, his head in his hands, "Subjecting all of Qurac to this danger! K-KF, can you find a new station?"

"Sure, which remote is it?" The green eyes boy clicked on of it, and a logo appeared on the screen: _Hello, Megan!_

The 70's sitcom was playing their own theme song, the main girl looking exactly like Miss Martian.

"Maybe it's a coincidence?" Superboy asked, just as one of the characters called 'Conner' appeared on the screen.

"Oh yeah, pure coincidence," Kid Flash smirked as Miss Martian walked in.

"It's done. All we can do now is wait," The green girl said, as Kid Flash struggled to change the channel.

"Is that Harjavti?" She asked, coming closer to the TV. It was, and the president of Qurac was giving a speech to his country.

"Hey, that guy in back, I know him!" Superboy exclaimed.

"It's Psimon, the psychic we fought last time we were in Bialya!" Miss Martian confirmed., "He was working for Queen Bee then, he must be controlling Harjavti for her now!"

"I still remember the headache from when he brain blasted us!" Kid Flash hit his forehead.

"We have to get Harjavti away from him," Robin said.

"I think it worked. Garfield's stable," Marie suddenly appeared, startling all of us.

"Good, because we have our mission."

* * *

><p><em>Harjavti's alone, <em>Robin stated, and we jumped through the ceiling into the President's office.

"Where's my daughter?" Harjavti asked Robin as the bird walked up to him, "Where's Psimon?"

"Forget him, let's get you out of here," Robin said, and the doors busted open, soldiers carrying blood-red weapons.

"Well, well. American heroes. Here to assassinate the President! Such a shame we arrived too late to stop them!"

_Those are apokoliptain weapons, _Superboy observed.

_Which they'll use to kill Harjavti, we get blamed, and Queen Bee gets to rule Qurac! _Robin mused angrily, _Form up around the President!_

_I found Psimon! _Miss Martian gave chase.

_Wait!_

_I'll get her. _Superboy tensed, ready to run.

_No. The mission is Harjavti! _Robin reminded him. We made quick work of the soldiers, who were now passed out on the floor.

"Thank you for saving my father," Harjavti's daughter said, "We will take care of him now."

We took off at top speed to find where Miss Martian was fighting Psimon.

_M'gann, we're coming! _Superboy told her, but a splitting pain in my skull, and everyone else's, made us stop.

I caught a glimpse of Psimon and a ugly white thing, just before my vision hazed and I blacked out.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Element, wake up!" I opened my eyes to find Miss Martian in my view, her face showing her concern. I struggled to my feet, and so did the rest of them.<p>

"And there's the headache," Kid Flash complained, and my head throbbed.

"Psimon?" Robin asked.

"He brain blasted you. I stopped him," I could see him now, laying in the pile of rubble. He looked so pitiful, so broken, by whatever Miss M did to him.-

We watched Harjavti confront Queen Bee about controlling him, denying her right to becoming sole ruler, and claimed that the two nations were never one, all from his balcony.

The door opened, and Queen Bee entered Harjavti's office, morphing back into the familiar sight of Miss Martian.

"Sorry you had to lie to everyone like that," Robin took a step towards her, "but I couldn't think of any other way to convince the people that Queen Bee was behind this."

"Dude, saving a country! Pretty big win for your first turn as leader," Kid Flash socked Robin in the arm.

"Yeah. Thanks," He replied.

* * *

><p>The Logan's were so nice, letting us spend the night at their place. In the morning, we watched Bruce Wayne shake hands with Harjavti, promising his full support.<p>

"Gee, Bruce Wayne sure got here fast. Almost like he knew-"

Robin smacked him, "Don't you have a souvenir to collect or something?" Robin hissed at him.

"Hello, Megan!" Kid Flash exclaimed then ran to the TV, picking up the _Hello, Megan! _tape, waving it in Miss M's face, "Something you'd like to tell us?"

The Martian sighed, "Growing up on Mars was not a happy time for me, but I started watching the broadcasts my uncle sent from Earth, to teach us about our sister planet. When I saw Megan, something just clicked. Maybe it was the similarities in our names, maybe it was the way all of Megan's problems could be solved in twenty-two minutes. All I know for sure is, Megan helped me smile in a lonely childhood. So, when I came to Earth and had to adopt a human form, I chose you. Well, hah, Megan."

"Which begs the question, what do you really look like?" Robin asked gently. Miss Martian stood up, and her hair disappeared.

"Bald M'gann. Still hot," Kid Flash commented.

Conner walked over and took her hand, "You know you don't have to put on a mask for me."

She stepped back, her hair returning, "I do it for me. This is who I am. Inside. Please don't be mad."

"Mad? I'm honored. M'gann, you saved my son. He says you're his blood-brother now, and I agree. You're family," Marie smiled.

Miss M walked over and hugged Marie, "Thank you! You can't know what that means to me."

* * *

><p>The sun set, and it was time for us to catch a little rest, then go back home. Marie set out blankets and pillows. I shared the couch with Robin again, leaning on his shoulder, using it as a pillow.<p>

If bald M'gann was who she really was, then what was that white thing I saw?


	17. Chapter 17: His Mask Revealed

**Gah I had a tough time with this chapter! So, our mysterious vandal has revealed his face! And sorry about all the one-on-one stuff you'll read, it's really fun writing those! And this is my first time writing a 'in-depth' action scene, so bear with me! Thank you so much for reading, and please click that review button down there, it's getting lonely!**

* * *

><p>C'mon, Lexi! We don't have all night!" Robin's call was muffled through the doorway.<p>

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" I snapped, glancing at the clock. It was 5:30, but Robin was acting like we had to leave right that moment, or the world was going to blow up.

I curled the last bit of my hair, and slapped the mask on, the black elastic settling in right behind my ears. I faced the door, bracing myself for the reactions, I pried open the door and stepped through, making a classy entrance…

…Or that's what I wanted to do. It's very hard to look sophisticated when you trip over the high heels you're wearing. But, everyone had their back turned to me so they didn't notice.

"So? What do you think?" I asked, getting their attention. They all turned, and the shock was clear as day on their faces.

"Lexi, you look-"

"Gorgeous!" Robin breathed, then quickly added, "You know, for the party."

I tried to ignore the glances that Artemis and M'gann were giving me, while Wally slapped the bird on his shoulder, "Oh, come on, Rob. You know she looks pretty," He said, creating a flustered Robin. I tried to ignore that too.

"Babe, why don't you wear that everyday?" Wally asked me.

I stared down at myself. I had on a full length midnight blue dress, a slit cut in on my right side, my heels silver that glittered with each step. My arms were covered in white gloves up to my elbows. My hair cascaded down my back in neat curls, and to top it all off, a golden mask adorned with real peacock feathers.

I smirked, "Because it's not everyday where you get to play a rich person."

"Batman _said_ you would be the date," Artemis added.

"And there's no defying the Batman," M'gann put in. I raised an eyebrow at her. If only she knew how frustrated I make Bats, but seriously, why do I have to be the date?

I flashed back to the mission briefing, where Bats was emotionless, as usual.

"It seems our vandal has moved onto a more dangerous game. He is assassinating government members all across the world. Paris, Morocco, and now, Russia," Bats pulled up a picture of a man in his later years, but richer than most put together.

"His name is Volkner Makarov, a member of the Russian Parliament. We believe our criminal will try to murder him, but his reasons are unknown. It could be the reasons why everyone else hates him-he is corrupt, and only cares about his money and fame. Many accuse him of spending government money for his own pleasures, but no one has done anything, until now," The picture of Volkner faded, only to be replaced by the fanciest hotel I have ever seen, "Makarov will be holding his yearly charity gala in this hotel. I want all of you to infiltrate the party to make sure that our criminal does not succeed in his plans. Kid Flash and Superboy, you two will cover as Makarov's secret security. Aqualad and Miss Martian, you both will be the gala's service, while Artemis and Robin will oversee the whole mission from an off-limits room within the hotel."

I crossed my arms, "Bats? I think you forgot me."

The Dark Knight swung his head to stare at me, "Element, you will go undercover as Makarov's special guest, Monique Walter."

I felt the blood drain from my face, "What?"

"I have to this guy put his hands over Lexi the whole night? Great," Wally groaned.

"You've got to be kidding, Bats. The guy's in his forties! Why me?"

"Because you are the most suitable choice," Bats said simply. The most suitable choice? I'm the second youngest on the Team! Artemis could pass for an adult, while M'gann could shape-shift into one, especially since she's thirty-something in Mars Years!

"Our highly dangerous target definitely be there. Unfortunately, the gala is a masquerade, so you'll have trouble spotting him. Keep a sharp eye on everyone, but keep a low profile. Trust no one but each other. I'm counting on you all to save this man's life."

"And we will not fail," Kaldur promised. I internally sighed. I wasn't so sure. When he wanted something, nothing will stop him.

I remember groaning when I saw what I had to wear. I didn't want this man's hands all over me! But, I doubt Wally would let him get farther than my shoulders..

"Let's go," Artemis broke me out of my thoughts, "We don't want to be late."

* * *

><p>"We have arrived, Miss Walter," Wally said as he opened the door of the limousine.<p>

"Why, thank you, dear Wallace! And might I add, you look truly divine in that suit!" I exclaimed, taking his hand as he helped me out of the car. Wally's usual spiky hair was gelled back from his face, his green eyes hidden by dark sunglasses, on par with Robin's. His suit fit him really well, and he had a communicator strapped to his shades.

"I think you're overdoing it," Wally whispered into my ear.

"You're just grumpy I used your full name," I teased back, then drew away from him. I walked down the sidewalk that led to the doors with a relaxed and comfortable air, like I did this all the time. I even faked annoyance as Wally opened the door, claiming he was 'too slow'.

The opened door revealed a world so unlike the one I was living. Thousands of people littered the giant room, chatting, laughing, showing off their flashy costumes that must've cost a fortune. The floor beneath my feet was a smooth, milky white marble, the same material used to build the pillars that held up the glass ceiling. The pale moonlight was reflected on the crystal chandeliers, spots of light igniting from them. Behind me, a respectful distance away, Wally whistled.

"Do you see anyone suspicious?" Robin's voice came from my earpiece.

I did a slow 360, taking in every inch of the party, "No, but then again, everyone's wearing a mask."

Robin's reply was lost by a booming voice, "Ah, so you must be Monique!" The words were clipped by a Russian accent.

I turned and there was Volkner, dressed in the finest suit money could buy.

I put on my most dazzling smile, and said, "Mr. Makarov, it's so great to finally meet you!"

The Parliament member inspected my face, "You're my date for the evening? You appear awfully young. Not that I'm complaining!" He threw his head back and let out a loud laugh, the whites of his teeth comparing with the gray in his hair.

"Well, Mr. Makarov-"

"Call me Volk."

"Volk, my extraordinary health has contributed to my youthful appearance," I told him as honestly as I could.

"I didn't know you knew such big words," Robin said, but I ignored him.

"Shall we?" Volk held out his arm, and I linked mine through his, glancing at Wally as I did so.

The man led me through crowds of people and numerous food carts, at one I saw M'gann and Kaldur, their faces polite and respectful as they waited on guests. And there was Conner, leaning against one of the pillars, his own face emotionless as he inspected the whole place, his arms crossed with boredom.

"You see here, Monique, this whole gala is for raising money to build houses for the poor in St. Petersburg. Such a noble cause, and to see the delight on those faces, it warms my heart!" Volk winked, "Not mention the money and fame it brings!"

I stared at him, my face blank. Of course, I expected this. When you live in Gotham City, you are prepared for any corruption and deception.

"Of course," I said passively, and Volk continued to babble on about himself and his accomplishments. I tried to look as interested as I could while my eyes flittered across the dance floor. An overwhelming amount of people were here, probably numerous others that were not in my vision. How would we find him if I could barely find Wally behind me?

Speaking of which, the redhead seemed to sense my thoughts, "We'll find him," He muttered, more to himself than to me.

"What was that, boy?" Volk asked, not even glancing at the undercover guard.

"I said, it is an honor to be by your side, sir!" I had to stifle a laugh at Wally's 'military' voice.

"Oh course it's an honor. Heck, it's an honor to be near my pet llama!" Volk snorted, rolling his eyes. I saw Wally clench his fists, and I held up a finger to stop him.

"Don't let him get to you," Robin cautioned in our ears.

"Jerk," Artemis added.

"Are you enjoying the party, Monique?"

"What? I mean, why yes! I'm thoroughly pleased by this smashing gala!" I said, being chipper once again.

"As you should be," A person appeared on Volk's left, whispering urgently into his ear. Volk listened, being quiet for once. He then waved the person away.

"Monique, please go, go! Have fun! Dance! Converse! You are not attached to me like a leech!" Volk gave me a little shove onto the dance floor. When I looked back, he was gone.

"Conner, keep an eye on Makarov," I hissed into my earpiece.

"Got it," Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the clone pick himself off the pillar and walk into the crowd.

I briskly walked into a corner least occupied by people, "So, Wallman, what now?"

He shrugged, "We wait."

I spied Kaldur and M'gann making their way towards us, "Speaking of wait.. YOOO HOOO! Servers, come quickly! I am parched!" I waved quickly to the two.

"It was like you were born fancy!" M'gann commented when she was in ear-shot.

"Indeed. You are a very convincing actress," Kaldur agreed.

"My acting skills doesn't matter right now. What matters is that it's been an hour and no one has revealed themselves yet!"

"Be patient. He'll show up," Robin said. What did he know about our criminal?

Artemis remarked, "This man strikes me as a creep who always gets what he wants, one way or another." I contained a snort. She had no idea.

"Excuse me?" A low purr sounded behind us. We all turned, and there he was, standing there. His mask glinted, and his suit was pressed neatly, no creases anywhere.

"How can we help you, sir?" Kaldur asked, polite, but we all felt suspicion for him.

"I was hoping to steal the lovely lady for a dance."

Wally drew to his full height, trying to look intimidating, "On what authority?"

He wasn't intimidated in the slightest, "Authority? It's a ball! You're supposed to dance!"

Wally shut up, he couldn't argue. "Alright. One dance."

He took my hand, leading me to the middle of the dance floor. I tried to shake off my friends' gazes. I couldn't show any hint that I knew him.

He held me at an arm's length, clearly not wanting contact more than I did. One of his hands rested lightly on my waist, while the other one held my right hand in a death grip. My own free hand touched his shoulder just barely, my fingers grazing the black of the suit. Even with my feather touch, I could feel he had his uniform underneath. His one eye gleamed beneath the copper colored side of the mask. The other side was dark. Always has been. Always will be.

"Interesting mask choice, sir-"

"Matthews to you, Miss Walters," He raised his voice, telling his name to anyone who cared, and those who didn't.

I lowered my voice so that only he could hear my words, "I swore that I would stop you at all costs. So I would just give up now, Slade."

"Give up? Those words don't exist in my vocabulary. And Alexandra, you really must have faith in your teammates, because if you stop me like you say you will, your world falls apart, with no one to blame but yourself."

I paused as we whirled past a couple, our steps hideously in sync. Too many years of being together, I guess.

"What do you want, Slade?"

"World domination. The Justice League dead. For you to crash and burn," He shrugged, his shoulder moving slightly under my fingers.

"You'll never get away with it. You won't help shed another tear again. I _will _arrest you," I snarled.

"Even at the cost of your sanity? You never were a thinker, dear," Slade revved up his rant, "If I go down, you are coming with me. Everyone will hate you, because of past deeds. Alexandra, you know you're not a hero. You are a villain. You were raised as a villain, and you will die as a villain. Your past choices will be your own demise."

A slight moment of silence as Slade let his words sink in. He voiced my very fears, but the trick is not show any reaction. If that's what he wanted from me, he's not getting it.

"And I will be laughing as the pain and guilt slowly eat you alive," To emphasize this he, he let out a low chuckle.

"Why did you come back?" I asked. I couldn't keep it hidden. _I had to know._

Slade let go of my being and stepped back, "Because I am the thing that keeps you up at night, the evil that haunts every dark corner of your mind. I will never rest, and neither will you," And almost like magic, he disappeared into the crowd.

"EVERYONE!" I barked into my communicator, getting their attention, "That was him, he's here! Tall, black suit, mask with half of it rust colored, the other side dark!"

"The man you danced with?" M'gann asked.

"You danced with someone?" Robin cried.

"Yes, she did. Now get over your jealousy and let's nail the guy," Artemis snapped.

"I see him!" Conner suddenly shouted, "Over there, by the stage!"

We took off like rockets to the elevated floor, it was where Volk was talking with the other Parliament members that showed up.

There was a sound so loud, so jarring, not unlike fireworks. It made a shiver go down my back, and my eyes go as wide as moons.

"Mr. Makarov!" Wally shouted.

The room collapsed into chaos. People screamed, ran for their lives, just as Volk went down, his face ghostly white.

"OH MY GOD!"

"He's alive! He's alive!"

"That's blood!"

"Someone, call an ambulance!"

"The police!"

"THE ARMY!"

But I didn't pay attention to that. I only saw Slade, a statue amongst the running people. He nonchalantly put the smoking gun in his suit pocket, no one calling him out on it.

Conner and Kaldur ran to Volk's side, while Wally and M'gann ran to mine, both of their faces shocked out of any emotion other than disbelief.

"Where is he?" Wally raised his voice to be heard.

I saw Slade slink into the shadows, "Over there!" I pointed, and Wally ran at top speed to catch him. They both soon disappeared.

"What happened?" Robin cried.

"M-Mr. Makarov, h-he was s-s-shot!" M'gann was raising hysterics, tears streaming down her face.

"Artemis, get over here and calm down M'gann. I'm going after him," I knew it wasn't my place to give orders, I'll certainly get in trouble for it, but _someone _had to do it.

"What? I can't let you do that!" Robin's voice cracked slightly.

"And why not?" I wasn't in the mood for Robin's scolding.

"Because you might get hurt!"

"That never stopped you! Robin, the man has a gun! Wally might _die!_" I gulped a little.

"But Lexi-" Robin's words were cut off as I yanked the earpiece out of my ear. I dropped it on the ground, and ran after Wally and Slade.

Their path led me to the staircase to the roof. Thanks to adrenaline, I cleared the first three flights without breaking a sweat. My dress flew out behind me like a flag, my glittery shoes left at the doorway to the steps.

I was challenged by the door, blocking my way to the roof. I jiggled the handle, then cursed. The bastard locked the door!

I peered through the tiny window, and saw Wally fly backwards from a punch. Slade followed soon after, then disappeared out of my view.

"Wally!" I screamed, but I knew he couldn't hear me. I wiggled the handle again, and was met with the same results.

Anger filled my veins, and I took out the door, kicking the obstacle off its hinges.

Wally was on the floor, not moving, but he seemed unharmed. Oh god, I hope Slade didn't do anything permanet.

Slade was staring at the horizon, looking totally unharmed by the chaotic turn this night took.

"Slade," I called, and there was the unmistakable click of his gun. When he saw it was me, the gun clattered to the ground.

"Why the mask, Alexandra? There are no secrets between you and I," In a flash, the golden cover followed the gun's path to the ground.

"Is he hurt?" I asked.

"The speedster? No. Annoying, unconscious, but not hurt."

"Lexi!" Robin called, his voice coming through the stairwell. The pounding of feet echoed as well, and I knew this one-on-one confrontation would be short.

"Shoot me, kill me, do whatever you want. Just don't hurt my friends!" Tears fell down my cheeks, and I slapped myself mentally. I couldn't believe I begged! And to Slade, nonetheless!

"Ah, the pitiful person inside you appears. I wonder when she would show up," He walked over to Wally, "I won't hurt them. Not yet. Not when they are the ones who can break you."

"DON'T. TOUCH. HIM!" A scream pierced the air. A green arrow flew, aiming for Slade's head. The masked man caught it easily, the explosive smoke passing through him without harm.

"Wally!" Artemis ran over to his unmoving boy, not caring she just revealed his secret identity. It's not like that mattered; Slade probably knew it already.

"The Boy Wonder and Martian Manhunter's niece. How nice it is to finally meet you," Slade welcomed the two with open arms, not even bothering with Artemis.

M'gann's eyes glowed for a moment, and Slade laughed, "I had more than enough practice against telepaths, little girl."

Robin took matters into his own hands, springing at Slade with the ferocity of a tiger.

"You're all very raw, very naïve. Alexandra _does _belong with you," My eyes widened at his words, but no one seemed to notice the connection.

Robin ran at him, and tried to roundhouse kick him right in the middle of his metal uniform. That attempt failed as Slade merely gripped the bird's ankle, and spun him onto his back. A steel-toed boot hit the side of Robin's torso. Again. And again. And again.

"Robin!" I screamed, and M'gann levitated Slade, and as gravity took a hold of him once more, my knee connected with his back.

"Why is it that you all care about one another? It's sad really. Just baggage you don't need," Slade remarked after he pulled himself up.

"Obviously you never had a partner, no, _friend_ship with anyone!" Robin spat back.

The gray eye shifted to where I was standing, but it was so quick I thought I didn't see it, "Not true. I've had a apprentice, a couple, actually. They failed though, _both _of them, and I had to dispose of them."

"You killed them?" M'gann whispered.

"No. I just broke them beyond repair, and-" I ran at him, not wanting to hear another word. I swung my leg at his ankles, but he flipped away, then aimed a punch at my chest.

I moved quickly out of the way, and kicked out towards his head. He caught me and tried to flip me like he did to Robin, but I twisted myself out of the grip. Every single move of mine was blocked by him, and I blocked every one of his. We moved around each other, circling in an eternal dance, never landinG a hit.

"It seems you've trained since I left, Alexandra, but I still see my moves in you," Slade whispered.

"I did learn from you," I replied, equally low, but said nothing else, even with provocation.

A low hum sounded in my ears, but I ignored it, dubbing it as my earpiece. But, I slowed down as I remembered: I threw my earpiece out on the dance floor.

Slade took the advantage and swiped me off my feet, "I'd love to stay, but I have work to do," The orange mask glinted with the moonlight as Slade ran, and jumped off the side of the building.

But he rose up again, saved by a helicopter, which was to blame for my mess-up.

"The game's just beginning!" He called, and then became a speck in the lightening sky.

"Who was he?" Artemis asked after a moment of silence. The blonde archer was supporting a coming-to Wally.

"KF, you ok?" Robin asked.

"A little fuzzy. What did I miss?"

"Everything!"

"Who was he?" Artemis asked again, getting irritated.

I looked at her, "His name is Slade."

* * *

><p>"Slade? Are you sure his name is Slade?" Bats asked again.<p>

"Positive. He told me while we were dancing,"

"I can't believe you danced with him," Robin muttered.

"Whoever this Slade guy is, he's got some nasty moves," Wally rubbed his head.

"That's not all he's got. He has weapons! He's a murderer!" Conner yelled.

"It wasn't your fault," M'gann said soothingly.

"I could've stopped him," The clone whispered.

"I doubt anyone could, even us," Bats admitted, and we all stared at him in shock.

The Dark Knight turned to the computer, and brought up a picture of Slade. Only this picture was older, and Slade looked even more crazy, if that was possible.

"Slade has eluded the League for many years, because he's done a lot of things without any thoughts, any emotions. He killed, stole, and manipulated for what he wanted. And he wouldn't stop for any thing, any delay, and usually let someone took the blame. He had two apprentices, one we have no record of, and the other worked for him for the better part of four years," The floor suddenly seemed really interesting, "But he or she got up and left. They had good sense."

"If they had good sense, they wouldn't have teamed up with him," Artemis snarled.

"What if they had no choice? Or a moment of weakness?" I asked quietly.

"Weaknesses are no excuse," She retorted.

Bats cleared his throat, and turned to the computer again, "After his second apprentice left, Slade made one final crime, then disappeared without a trace. There were-are-no records of him, no clues, no signs, it was like he never existed. Except on here," Bats gestured to the computer, then narrowed his eyes, "I fear his coming back will spell trouble, for both the Team and the League. He seems to have made a Lexi a target."

I groaned, "Just my luck!" But I knew the real reason, and I wasn't too keen on sharing it.

"We'll make sure he does not harm you," Kaldur promised.

I smiled, "Thank you. That means a lot."

"Alright, all of you, head home. I'm looking into this personally," Bats said, and I started to walk towards the hallway that held my sleeping quarters.

"Lexi, since when do you sleep here?" Wally asked.

I shrugged, "My house is getting cleaned." A total lie, but I couldn't tell him that the nightmares made my house impossible to sleep in.

"Later, guys!" I gave a small wave as the door shut on my friends' faces.

* * *

><p>I woke up screaming again, but no one appeared, no one ever did. I doubt they even heard me.<p>

In the darkness of my room, I curled into a tight ball, and it was like I was protecting my insides from the horrors of my mind.

Tears flowed freely from my eyes and onto the gray sheets. I couldn't go on like this. This couldn't happen if I didn't want to kill myself. Someone was bound to notice my lack of sleep, and my connections to Slade.

_This needed to end. _


	18. Chapter 18: Taking a Break

**This is mostly just a filler chapter, because I'm going on vacation for my spring break, and I needed to post something before I leave. There are two things I need to point out now that are very important to the story later on.**

**1) Lexi DOES NOT KNOW who Dick Grayson is. while she knows Bruce Wayne, she does not know that he has a ward. She thinks he's just another annoying kid in her school.**

**2) Time is kinda different in Secrets. While in the show, it's about November-December, I will write it as if important dates didn't exist. That's why I don't address the date often.**

**Oh, and I'm skipping Agendas. Nothing really happened to the other Team members :/**

**If you have any questions, leave a review or PM me! Thanks for reading!**

* * *

><p><em>Charles made $630 from his cookie sales. This is $45 more than 7 times the amount that Liam made. How much did Liam make?<em>

I stared at the math problem in front of me. Sweat trickled down my forehead as the words blurred in and out of my vision. I bounced my foot up and down, occasionally tugging at my skirt. When my hand wasn't pulling at the suffocating fabric, it held the mechanical pencil with an iron grip, shaking uncontrollably.

_Lexi, you know this problem! _I told myself. While I wasn't a math whiz, I was pretty good at it, maintaining a high B or a low A.

I stared, and stared, and stared, until the tiny black letters formed into one long line. The line turned blood red, and trickled down the page.

I didn't see the math problem. I saw Volkner Makarov's face, white with dying, as he clutched the blood dripping from his chest.

I saw Slade, his mask inches from mine, as we twirled on the dance floor.

I saw a fist, aiming for Wally's head.

I saw a steel-toed boot, striking again and again at Robin's torso.

I saw Slade and myself, moving as one as we fought.

I heard his words, over and over again:

"_I am the one thing that keeps you up at night, the evil that haunts every dark corner of your mind. I will _never _rest, and neither will you."_

When I came back to reality, my pencil was floating in front of me. No, not floating, a hand was holding it.

"Lexi? You dropped this," I lifted my head and stared into the deep blue eyes of Dick Grayson.

"What?" I asked. I didn't hear what he said, only his mouth moved.

"I said, you dropped this," The pencil landed on the table.

"Oh, thanks Dick," I picked it up again.

"Do you need help?" He asked.

I snarled, "No."

He shrugged, then slid into his seat across from me.

I went back to staring at the problem, again not really seeing it.

"_I won't hurt them. Not yet. Not when they are the ones who can break you."_

I zoned out, but my hand seemed to have a mind of its own. I felt the pencil drag across the page shakily. I opened my eyes, and in big, shaky letters, were the words _I WILL KILL YOU._

I gaped at what I wrote. Kill? I would never kill anybody! Quickly, I erased the words and scribbled out a random number. I stood quickly from my desk, bracing myself as the blood rushed to my head.

When that passed, I quickly walked to the desk at the front of the room. My teacher's dark eyes cast a questioning look as I shakily set the paper on the wood surface.

"Are you feeling ok, Lexi?" He asked, peering at me through his glasses.

"Fine," I replied, then hightailed it back to my desk. In the remaining minutes of the class, I took out my sketchbook. When my world had turned upside down, art was my only confinement. It knew all my secrets, the ones Slade never even heard of. He thinks he knows me?

He doesn't know Lexi Cross.

I looked at my drawing of the previous day, my golden mask lying next to Slade's gun, both in a deep red pool of blood.

"Hey," Dick leaned over, trying to look at the paper.

"Go away, Dick," I swatted at him.

He ignored the comment, "Whatcha drawing?"

"Does it matter?" I clutched the pad to my chest.

"Well-"

"Class, I have graded the formative," Our teacher stood up from his desk, going down the rows of students, passing out the papers.

"Dick, perfect score, as usual," He grinned at the dark-haired boy, laying the sheet on his desk. Dick smiled back and slid the paper into his folder.

"Lexi," I looked up at him. His grin was replaced by a disapproving frown, "I expected better of you. You had this skill down pat."

My paper floated down onto my desk, the "F" written in fat, red ink.

"Try to work harder," He said flatly, then moved on.

Of course, it was written in red ink. Images of Volk's blood splattering the white marble flashed through my mind, as well as the blood of many other victims.

I snorted, crumpling the paper. I don't care about the F, and who does? I am in charge of my own self, and I don't care about my grades anymore. The one person who would care would be Batman, and I'm positive that he won't come crashing through the window just to scold me on a lousy grade.

The bell rung, and I threw my bag over my shoulder. I passed the trashcan on my way out, and the formative landed in there with a satisfying swish.

* * *

><p>The cement was warm underneath as I sat down at the edge of the fountain. The water gushed behind me, creating a serene noise in the silence.<p>

This park was my favorite, I always used to come here with my family. My parents would sit in this exact same spot, while my sister and I chased each other around the old oak tree that stood about ten feet away. I remember climbing up the tree with her countless times, our legs swinging from the thickest branch. It was from that branch my sister fell, breaking her leg. My parents forbade us from going here again.

But, I needed to take time away from everything. I needed to clear my head, as the nightmares became daymares. I couldn't concentrate on anything but horrors my mind has witnessed, replaying them over and over like a broken record. I couldn't take joy in anything anymore.

And it wasn't just my personal life that was altered. I prefer to be alone now, my friends just serving as distractions from my main goal: taking down Slade. I became ruthless in my missions; Robin had to stop me from ripping apart one of Slade's robots piece by piece.

My body started shaking as I thought of my friends. They probably thought I was a monster, no mercy to anyone and everyone.

When I was with Slade, I was taught very specific rules. Never hesitate. Never look back. Never give mercy. Never give pity. No one is to be trusted.

But, being taught by Bats and working with the Team, I was taught things so different from what I had learned. And I embraced them, as they actually made me feel good inside, unlike being Slade's little whatever I was.

When Slade returned, I reverted to my old ways, and I have no idea why. I'm pushing myself away from my friends, and I know I'm going to regret it.

I already am.

Maybe by distancing myself from them, I'm saving them. Slade will do anything to hurt me, and to do that, he will try to do unthinkable things to them. I can't let that happen. I _will _keep them save, even at the cost of my own life.

It's not their fault they were dragged into this Hell that was Slade's making, it is mine.

I bent over and grabbed a rock by my foot. Pulling back my arm, I threw the rock as far as I could, and it sailed a distance away. I repeated the process, but the rock was snatched out of thin air. A red blur caused my hair to swirl around, then fall back into place.

"Wally?" I asked, just as he stopped, "What's wrong?"

He had a worried look on his face, "Lexi, !"

"What is it?" I cried, springing to my feet.

"We haven't seen in you in Cave," M'gann materialized from the trees.

I clenched my hands into fists, "Really? That's it? You had me worked up for nothing!"

"Not for nothing," Artemis leaned against the old oak.

"We have been worried about you," Kaldur told me, and everyone nodded.

"You don't hang out with us anymore," Robin added, real hurt placed on his features.

"Wait, guys, you don't understand-"

"Then help us understand," M'gann cut in quietly.

I stared at my friends. Real concern flashed in their faces; even Conner had some of it. They truly cared about me, they wanted to help.

The realization brought on tears, my throat closing. I refused to let them fall, though.

"You," My voice faltered, so I cleared it and started again, "You don't even know how much your commitment means to me. How much you all mean to me. And I know I've been acting really strange lately, but the reason for that, it might make me do something…..drastic. If that happens, I don't want any of you caught in the middle."

"Lexi," Robin's hand was on my shoulder, "whatever happens with Slade, we will be there."

I had no words. I choked on the overwhelming emotions.

"You're overwhelmed," Artemis stated. I nodded.

"Hey!" We looked at Wally, a big grin on his face, "Why don't we all get whelmed at the fair!"

Robin glared at the ginger, "Dude, not cool!"

"There's a fair here?" M'gann asked.

"Yeah, I saw it on the way here! C'mon!" Wally turned on his heel, and ran away from us. We all exchanged glances, then followed the speedster.

* * *

><p>"Have you ever been to a fair?" Robin asked Megan.<p>

"No. All of the colors! And the rides! And the foods! It's amazing!" The Martian had shape-shifted into her human skin.

"Nice shirt," Some random person told Conner.

"Uh, thanks?" He said, staring after the person, confused.

"You a roller coaster fan?" Wally suddenly had his arm around me.

I grinned, "Of course! Who isn't?"

"Then it is official! You are my roller coaster buddy!" His hand shot up, and we slapped our palms together.

"Hey, I'll meet you guys at the Ferris Wheel!" I promised as we ran towards the nearest coaster-The Raptor.

"I will be around the dunk tank. It's where I feel most comfortable," Kaldur called after us.

"Oh man, this is awesome!" Wally bounced in his seat.

"You're telling me!" I laughed at his enthusiasm. I was talking to boy who was complaining in line about how slow it was, then suddenly he's all hyper again. But that was Wally for ya.

The Raptor climbed the hill, and I got a glimpse at all the people. They were just innocent people, and if Slade did anything to them-

I stopped myself from those thoughts. I couldn't think about them; I was here to have fun.

"Here we go!" Wally yelled from my side, and our car tipped over the hill, making us scream in excitement. Wind tore at my face, cooling my skin with the rush of air. My stomach flipped over as the car turned upside down. I glanced at Wally, his face totally scared, but happy at the same time. The look in his eyes made me feel amazing. _THIS _is what it means to be living. Not hunting down a psycho maniac, not being hit by a alien's beam, just screaming in a roller coaster car with your best friend.

The ride ended, and both Wally and I had jelly legs. We both laughed at each other's attempts to walk, and we went on our merry way to the Ferris Wheel.

"Guys, you gotta go on the Raptor!"

"Yeah! Best ride ever!" I added.

"Conner, let's go on the Ferris Wheel," Megan tugged on her boyfriend's shirt.

He shrugged, "Ok," He followed Megan into the line of people.

"Who wants to play some games?" Artemis asked, a mischievous look on her face.

"I do!" Robin laughed.

"Why not?" I said, smiling.

"Alright, charge!" Wally commanded, and we hammered into the alley of games.

I focused my aim at the three bottles, feeling the wait of the ball in my hand. I threw it, and it hit two clear off.

"Nice try!" The booth vender said, but was distracted by the loud sound of shattering glass.

I followed his gaze, and there was Artemis, grinning. Next to her, was three piles of shattered glass.

"Not fair!" Wally complained.

"Yeah, you're an archer!" Robin added.

"Archer or not, she hit three without a sweat. Pick any one from the top!" Artemis chose the big monkey.

"Conner's gonna flip," I told her with a laugh.

She smirked, "That's why I chose it."

"Hey Robin, you wanna…Robin? Robin!" I looked around for the bird.

"Even here, he does his ninja act!" Wally smacked his forehead.

We went searching for him, and found him at the obstacle course. He stood at the start, flexing his muscles.

"If he can beat the fastest time of three minutes, he wins these prizes!" The announcer held up a gift card to a place of Robin's choice, and a giant stuffed dog.

"Ready…..GO!" The fake gun fired, and Robin ran into the course. He ran up the short incline, grabbing the net above the murky water. Thanks to his acrobatic training, he finished that part in no time.

"Go Robin!" I cried, and Artemis and Wally roared their support for our bird.

There was a glint of Robin's teeth, and he hit the button on the other side of the course. Horns blared and confetti was shot, as he beat the record time by a full minute and a half.

"Congratulations, boy! You beat the record time. Now, come and claim your prizes!" Robin walked off and accepted the gifts from the man.

"Way to go, Rob!" Wally slapped him on the back when Robin came back to us.

"Like a true acrobat," Artemis added.

Robin shrugged, "It was nothing."

"I guess we should go get Megan and Conner," I said.

"Kaldur, too," Wally cut in.

"Ok, Baywatch and I will go pick up Kaldur. You two go get the lovebirds. Meet back at the entrance, ok?" Artemis walked away with Wally in tow.

"Did you seriously just call me Baywatch?"

"Yes I did. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Not if you have a problem, _Arty._"

"Shut up, Baywatch!" Their voiced faded away as they disappeared among the mass of people.

"Let's go," I turned towards the Ferris Wheel.

"Hey Lexi," Robin stopped me.

"Yessss?" I dragged out the word.

Robin held out the stuffed dog to me. Even though he had sunglasses on, I could tell he wasn't looking at me.

"For you," He said, and I couldn't stop the heat that was rising to my cheeks. Good thing they were already red from the wind.

"Uh, t-thanks, Robin," I reached out and grasped the toy.

"Yeah. No problem," Robin briskly walked ahead, leaving me no choice but to follow.

* * *

><p>"Stop it," I hissed at Artemis. The blonde archer had been trying not to laugh when we met up. Her lips now played a smirk on them.<p>

"Isn't that the thing Robin won?" She asked, equally low.

"Yeah. What of it?"

"He gave it to you?" She feigned surprise.

"How cute!" Megan added, overhearing.

"Will you both cut it out! It was a friendly gesture. Maybe he was feeling bad because I didn't have a prize."

"Neither does Wally, but you don't see Robin handing over his gift card to him," Artemis pointed out.

I glared at my two friends, then muttered, "Shut up."

They both burst out in loud laughter, making the boys glance at us.

"Let's go home," Kaldur said, and we nodded. They walked through the brightly lit gate.

"Have a nice day! Thanks for coming!" The ticket booth girl said in a chipper voice.

I halted, looking back at the fair still raging behind me. I didn't want to leave, as this was the best day I had in a long time. Come to think of it, I couldn't remember the last time I laughed like that. I was too busy wallowing in my anger and fright about Slade, and in my guilt for my friends to think about fun.

This night changed me. It told me that I couldn't protect my friends by hiding away. It told me I had to embrace the pain, to be by their sides when something went wrong. It told me to not fear Slade anymore.

And while the night had told me a lot of things, it wouldn't stop the nightmares that came the moment I closed my eyes.


	19. Chapter 19: Red Arrow

**Hey, all! I'm back with another chapter! Oh, have I mentioned how long this story was going to be? Well, I did some calculating, and got up to about 30 chapters, give or take a few. And after that, who knows? Maybe if you guys want one, I'll make a sequel! **

**Oh, and 5 more reviews 'til I hit 50. Please guys, you don't know what that means to me! Please, please, please review! I know you can make it happen!**

* * *

><p>I chewed on my pencil, staring down at my homework. Social Studies was a breeze for me. When I failed in Math, my history buff side was the one that stood out. I confidently wrote in the answer to the last question, and filed the paper away with a smirk.<p>

"Hey, look who's here!" Wally's gleeful shout reached all the way into my room. Intrigued, I walked out into the mission room, where I saw Wally, Kaldur, Zatanna, M'gann, and Superboy crowding around a redhead in a red outfit.

"Hey, Zatanna. Welcome back," I told her.

"Thanks! I heard about what went on while I was gone. How much damage can you do in a few weeks?"

I snorted, "You have no idea. What's going on? Who are you?" I addressed the man in the mask.

"Lexi, this is Roy," Kaldur gestured to the new person. Green Arrow was standing next to the boy, a smile on his face.

"Speedy?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Robin and Wally had recounted the whole Fourth of July thing, so I knew that him being here was a serious joke.

"Red Arrow," He corrected harshly. The white slits of his domino mask narrowed as he stared at me, "The Team's taking in strays?"

"Roy, I wouldn't-" Wally started.

"Excuse me?" My eyes narrowed as well, glaring at the redhead, "If you think I'm a stray, you've got another thing comin', bub."

The other ginger winced, "I told you."

"Do you even have powers?" Roy asked.

I rolled my eyes, "They don't call me Element for nothing. Do you?"

There was a pause, "…No. I'm an extraordinary marksman though. I bet you couldn't even hit an apple off my head."

"Challenge accepted. M'gann, do have apples left over from your pie?"

The Martian looked at me, chewing her lip, "Lexi, I don't think it's the time to do this."

"M'gann is completely right," Green Arrow agreed, shooting both me and Red Arrow a look, "You can have a friendly competition later."

"It wouldn't be friendly," I muttered. The look on the archer's face echoed my words.

"RECOGNIZED: ARTEMIS B07" The computer announced the blonde girl's arrival. Oh no. I didn't think about how this would affect Artemis, and judging by the looks on the others' faces, they didn't think about that either. Well, everyone but Green Arrow.

"Artemis!" He called to the archer, "Just in time! Look who's agreed to join the Team!" We all turned to look at her.

"Finally!" Wally wasn't helping.

"Sure. Team's needed a _real _archer," Artemis said, venom coating her words.

"Artemis, it's not-"

"Ok people, listen up," GA cut me off, oblivious to the daggers Artemis was shooting at him, "The Dynamic Duo's on a case in Gotham, but Batman gave me a head's up."

The emerald clad man pulled up a picture of Sportsmaster, "Sportsmaster was coming from Louie Armstrong, New Orleans' international airport."

"In full costume?" Zatanna asked, "Nervy."

"In street clothes. Facial recognition software picked up the ID. Find out what he's up too."

"All of us? Seems like overkill for a Shadows job," Conner pointed out.

"Perhaps a small squad," Red Tornado offered, "Miss Martian's camouflage ability seems ideal."

"Thought the sidekicks, sorry, _ex_-sidekicks, could suit up on this. Aqualad, Kid Flash, Red Arrow."

"WHAT?" I shouted, offended. This mission was supposed to be the one I wiped the smug look off of Roy's face!

"Do you have a problem, Element?" The archer sneered.

"Other than you being a complete jerk?" I retorted. I was just getting used to Robin, now I had to deal with this guy?

"Enough," Green Arrow glared at me. His ex-protégé got none of the blame. "Lexi, you know they are the most suitable."

"Stakeouts make me crazy!" Conner added.

"We could use the night off," M'gann said, so not helping my case.

"I want in," Artemis said suddenly, "With M'gann and Robin out, _no_ one else logged in more hours piloting the Bio-ship."

"Artemis? Are you sure?" GA asked his apprentice.

"Absolutely." I blinked at Artemis' hard tone. Sure, Artemis was secretive and snarky, but she was a good friend.

"Not fair!" I complained as they headed towards the hangar, but shut up as soon as I realized how Wally I sounded.

* * *

><p>"No offense guys, but even my boredom is bored," Zatanna said as we walked back to where Red Tornado was fiddling with the computer.<p>

"I second that," I yawned.

"Maybe a night off wasn't the best idea," M'gann admitted.

"Red Tornado!" The robot turned around, "Got any good stakeouts?"

"I do not. You must amuse yourselves," He created a tornado, and disappeared into his apartment above us.

"That's Tornado's apartment, right?" Zatanna asked.

"It is," M'gann confirmed.

"But, Tornado doesn't eat, or sleep, or change clothes, or, well, anything!"

"So?" Conner asked. But I caught on to what the black haired girl was getting at.

"So…"

"What does he do up there?" I finished for her. We all hesitated for a moment, figuring out a way to get into the hole in the ceiling. Finally, I raised the ground into a giant pillar, stepping on. I glanced at my friends. M'gann could float and Conner could jump, but where would that leave Zatanna?

After a moment of thinking it over, I reached out my hand. The magician smiled, taking it. I hauled her up besides me, and continued to raise the column.

"Hctah siri nepo," Zatanna said, and the entrance to the apartment opened.

I reached the floor, and let both Zatanna and myself off. As soon as the rock smoothed in with the ground below, Conner jumped in. I studied the Christmas tree, with various religious items underneath.

"So, Tornado studies religion," I reported. "Who knew?"

"Is that what I think it is?" Zatanna's suspicious voice made me turn around. The three of them were staring a bed, where there was an impression of a man. We shared a look, and Conner stepped forward, yanking the red sheet off.

There, on the bed, was a human android. Parts and pieces still stuck out of the unfinished body, but the thing looked pretty realistic. Very believable to a person who didn't squint to hard.

"So, is Red building a friend, or what?" Zatanna lightly joked. Just then, Tornado came in from the ceiling, and the lights flashed on.

"Perhaps you should ask Red."

"Alright, what's with the new bot?" Conner jerked his thumb at the thing.

"I am a robot," Red walked between us, gesturing to the man, "_This _is an android. He will serve as my alter ego, John Smith, and allow me to download my consciousness so that I may walk among humans, interact, and learn."

M'gann clapped her hands together, "I think it's a wonderful idea!"

"Your approval is appreciated, but your presence is uninvited. Is this a sign of disrespect?"

"No,no,no! It was a sign of, uh,"

"Curiosity!" M'gann saved me.

"Boredom," Conner muttered a second after.

"Something's missing," I told Red honestly.

"You know, he's cute. But, if the goal's human interaction…Evig mih stnap!" The red sheet that was abandoned on the floor suddenly sprang to life, wrapping itself around John's legs, "He really needed pants."

I smiled, "That something missing is found!" Zatanna looked slightly surprised at my approval.

The zeta-tube's glow reached us from even here.

"They're back!" M'gann cried, flying down the hatch. The rest of us came down in the same manner we went up.

My feet reached solid earth just as the first silhouette, Red Arrow, approached.

"Let me be clear: We failed," Aqualad's voice was hard, "Though the Injustice League is in custody, their allies still scheme, and we have learned _nothing_ of their plans."

"Gee," Red Arrow broke in, "I wonder why." He frowned at Artemis.

"Hey! Who found out that Sportsmaster was working for Brain, Klarion, and Ivo?" The green archer shot back, just as angry.

"Yeah, great intel. Except Ivo's been in Belle Reve the whole time! The guards just checked: it's the real Ivo, not a robot!"

"You know, I'm getting tired of you dumping on her!" Wally sprang to Artemis' defense. My eyes widened, Artemis wasn't going to like that.

Arrow held up a small round thing, "Her tracer, so? Cheshire ditched it!"

"No, Artemis ditched that," Red Arrow pointed to another tracer in Aqualad's hand, "to send us on a wild goose chase. She put this one on Cheshire."

"Artemis?" Wally turned to her, "Are you that freaked out about Red Arrow joining the Team, you had to prove yourself by bringing down the bad guys solo? Please tell me I'm wrong!"

Artemis started to deny what he said, then sighed. The rest of us just stood there awkwardly, watching the exchange.

"Well, nice going. What you've proved is that your insecure and selfish," Wally tossed a sai at her feet, "Keep the sai. This is the right souvenir for the mission." Wally took the tracer from Red Arrow's hand, and walked away.

"So how will you betray us next time?" The redheaded archer accused.

"Enough. If making a mistake is a betrayal, then we would all be traitors. I must report to Batman. The rest of you, get some sleep." At Aqualad's harsh words, the group dispersed.

I reached out my hand, "Artemis-"

"Save it," She snarled, turning away. I stared at her for a moment, then retracted my hand. And with another glance at my friend, I went back into my room.


	20. Chapter 20: Hidden Surveillance

**Felt good enough to write another chapter! And now, we have hit the 20 mark! Thank you everyone who stayed with the story this long! ^^ This is mostly a starter chapter, as we are getting closer and closer to the climax. Trust me, it gets better from here! And, I planned it all out: About five chapters will be written before the next episode, which is Performance. And then another sixish chapters, and then the last two episodes! So, should I make a sequel? Thanks for reading, review please!**

* * *

><p>Running around aimlessly is never a good idea. But, when your nerves are snapped and your itching to punch something, you run after any shadow like it was your life. And for me, it was.<p>

I thought I saw the orange mask, and I tore after it, ignoring Robin's cry of "Element, wait!". I took off like Kid Flash, even though my crude running skills just pale in comparison. Not even comparable.

There was a glint of metal, and I urged myself to run faster, even letting out a blast of wind every few times. I couldn't let Slade go and do whatever he liked, blow up with building or kill another person. I just couldn't do that.

"STOP!" I roared like a lion, springing onto what I thought was Slade. I grabbed his shoulders and spun him about, making him face me. But this wasn't the heartless mercenary I knew, this was just another of his robots. The thing had a variation of Slade's uniform, but it was not the masked man himself.

Disgusted, I threw the robot onto the ground, crushing it with a rock hammer until it was nothing more than a pile of wires. And even then, I wasn't satisfied. I created a wave, drenching the electronic parts, so that Slade could never used them again.

But, I felt that something was off. Was it something about the room? Something about the atmosphere... I froze instantly. Oh, how could I be so stupid?

"Guys, stop!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. But that didn't prevent the pounding of footsteps headed my way.

"No, really, stop!" I screamed louder, in which the footsteps seemed to increase in speed. Kid Flash reached me first, stumbling in front of me.

"What are you doing?" I hissed, helping him upright, "I told you to keep away!"

"Yeah, why did you do that?" Superboy spoke for the redhead. The others had caught up with us.

"It's a trap!" I told them, then looked up at the ceiling. Triggered by my words and the arrival of the Team, Slade's Robot Commandos fell upon us. I flipped out of the way, and found myself back to back with Robin. I felt him take out a couple of batarangs, and we both nodded.

"Duck!" At his command, I crouched down, and saw a red beam pass over my head.

"Lasers! They have lasers!" Robin shouted.

Springing forward, I kicked the robot right in the gut, then had the earth make a tomb around it.

"Element, look out!" Miss Martian's voice rang out. I turned, then saw a fist connecting with my head. I landed on the floor, scrambling to my hands and knees, trying to make the ringing in my ears go away. I coughed and blinked hard. I blinked again, then raised my head. A robot was falling from the ceiling, ready to smash my back. I didn't let him, and rolled out of the way.

Getting to my feet, I sent the robot flying with a gust of wind. Aqualad shocked the thing dead.

"Thanks!" I called, and he nodded. There was a shout from Superboy, and robot parts flew past us.

"Take that!" Artemis shouted, an arrow flying from her bow. It lodged into a robot's eye, and it exploded. The archer smirked with satisfaction.

"What the heck are these?" Kid Flash yelled as he ran circles around one, _literally._

"Robots," Robin replied.

Kid Flash rolled his eyes, shoes squealing, "No duh, Sherlock!"

"They're more like ninjas," I remarked, ducking from a punch.

"Who needs more ninjas?" The bird asked, another explosive shuriken taking out a robot.

By a sudden command, the robots stopped attacking and ran away from us. They jumped over fallen objects, went under make-shift bridges, and weaved through the room like it was a maze.

"Oh no you don't!" Artemis cried, shooting an arrow at a stragglier. It turned into an net, capturing the retreating robot. The thing struggled, trying to rip through the tight mesh.

"Nope!" Robin denied happily, and took it out. The red eyes glowed for a second more, then faded back to gray.

"Where did the others go?" Miss M asked, trying to peer into the darkness.

I was already turning away from the rest, heading for the door, "Back to their master."

* * *

><p>Bats frowned at us. I guess that's not surprising; we should be worried if he was <em>smiling.<em>

"Batman, we caught one," Wally exclaimed, gesturing to what Conner was carrying.

"One what?" Bats asked in a gravely voice.

"One of the robots that attacked us back in the warehouse," Robin explained, and the Kryptonian dumped the thing on the ground.

The Dark Knight walked over to it, narrowing his eyes, "Leave it here. I'll get Green Lantern to do an analysis. As for you," His face softened, if only for a millisecond, "Good work. Go home and get some rest."

My face broke into a smile, and so did everyone else's. Even Conner allowed a small smile to grace his features.

"Woohoo! Another good day!" Wally held up his hand, and Robin smacked it with his own.

"G'night guys," Artemis said, disappearing into the zeta-tube. Wally and Kaldur followed her lead, all bidding goodbye and good night, yadi yadi yada.

"Lexi, stay behind for a moment," Bats instructed. Robin passed me, a worried expression on his face.

"Robin, go home," Robin looked at his mentor, then slinked away into the zeta-tube. M'gann, Conner, and Zatanna also retreated to their rooms.

"What's up?" I asked, crossing my arms. Inside, I was freaking out. When you get called out by The Batman, you should be very afraid.

"How long have you been sleeping here?"

I blinked, "Uh. Couple of weeks."

Bats stared at me, his serious expression wavering for just a moment, "Why haven't you been in your house?"

"Because…my house was getting cleaned," I swallowed nervously.

"Don't lie to me," He growled.

But I wasn't going to tell him the truth. It was the last thing he would want to hear, "My house has been, uh, unlivable for a while. Why? What's wrong?"

Bats shifted slightly, "Well, intelligence has revealed that your house has been under surveillance for over a month."

I stared at him, pretty sure my mouth was open. My blood was boiling. How could I let something like this happen?

"Oh my god! Do you know who's doing this?" Stupid question, because I knew exactly who was doing this.

"No, but I'm looking into it. Have you, uh, changed into your uniform at your house?"

I shivered when I pictured him watching me change, "Uh, yeah! I wasn't suspecting I was being watched!" What a pedophile!

"We can't do anything about past events, but I'm making sure you will be safe. You are being removed from your house," Bats explained.

"Am I staying here?" I asked, hopes rising.

"No. I want to keep an eye on you, so you'll be living with me for the time being."

I opened my mouth again, but no words came out. I had to make sure I heard him right. Staying with Bats? STAYING WITH THE BATMAN? Not only would I see were he lived, but who he was under that cowl.

"I-I don't know what to say," I stuttered.

"Just pack a bag for a few weeks stay, and try not to act like you know you're being watched. I'll have someone pick you up around three."

I smiled, then had a thought, "What about my dog?"

"You have a dog?" Bats asked, exasperated.

"I do. I can't just leave her alone."

"Can't you put her in the dog daycare?"

I frowned, "For a couple of weeks? I don't have that kind of money!"

Bats sighed, "I will pay for that. Just bring the dog with you."

I nodded, then headed for the zeta-tube. Before I was whisked away to Gotham City, I looked over my shoulder, "Thank you."

"RECONGIZED: ELEMENT B08"

Ah, good ol' Gotham City. It was that city that everybody hated, but didn't have the guts to leave, even with all the crime and corruption. To prove my point, a couple of thugs ran past the alley.

"Hey, John," A gruff voice said, the body it belonged to was shadowed.

"Yeah?" His companion shuffled over.

"This alley's empty. We can hide here for awhile."

I saw a nod from one of the men, "Good idea. Ain't no cops gonna get us."

"I don't think so," I called, and both of them jumped.

"Who's there?" One said, fear weakening his voice.

"Your worst nightmare," I walked toward them, and they saw my face. The two men burst into laughter, and I tensed.

"What's so funny?"

"I was expectin' the Bat, or maybe the bird, but not a little girl!" The man, John, doubled over in laughter.

"Why don't you run to your mommy, girl? You can't be doin' the Bat's job," The other one said.

"I can't?" I raised an eyebrow, then a hand. The water underneath us burst to the surface, pushing the men off their feet. With a quick motion, they were frozen against the wall.

"W-Who are you?" John quavered.

I took a bow, "Element," and walked between them.

* * *

><p>I threw the keys on the table, and gave Mira a quick pat, "Hey Mir." I ran lightly up the steps, and turned sharply into the hallway. In front of me loomed the brown wood of my sister's door, dark and foreboding. I passed by it like always; didn't even bat an eye.<p>

I headed into my room, and shut the door. I tried to act normal, not to tip off Slade, but I couldn't help but glance at the ceiling. I suppressed a shiver as I thought about him sitting at a normal desk, watching me live my daily life with that cold eye of his. Cameras. He always had those damn cameras.

I dragged a big bag out of the closet, and proceeded to pack everything I needed for the stay at Bats' house. I wonder, was Batman's alias nicer than the Dark Knight, or was he just as emotionless? Why did he want me to stay with him? It's not like he actually cared…..did he?

I shook my head, shoving another shirt into the bag. My thoughts were useless now. I was going to be living with the Bat, and there was nothing I could do about it. Better take advantage of knowing Batman's identity; not that I'd reveal it. I'm not cruel like that, like Slade.

My eyes drifted upward again, only to flit to the bathroom door. I walked in and rapidly grabbed what I needed, then stuck those into the bag as well. When my packing was done, there was nothing left to do. So, I chucked the bag to the ground, and plopped down on my bed. I clicked the TV on, but instantly became bored with channel surfing. One look at my hand and I realized I hadn't changed out of my costume yet.

"Hello, Lexi!" I slapped my forehead, just like M'gann always does. I took off my gloves, but then stopped. Slade most likely is watching, so I can't just change in front of him, but if I go somewhere else, he'll suspect something.

I got up and walked out of my room. Maybe my parent's room? Or the other bathroom, or… I looked straight at the door that contained my sister's leftover possessions. Biting my lip, I reached out and grasped the brass knob, turning it slowly. This was the second time I touched this knob since she left, and it still surprised me when I found it unlocked.

Lemme get this straight: it was _never _unlocked.

But, I chickened out. I couldn't be reminded of what once was. It was just too painful, even after five years. I can't just waltz in there and pretend she never lived here, or even worse, that she even existed. No, I had made a promise and intended to keep it.

So, I let go of the knob and walked away, ending at the bathroom that parents used. Excuse me, _used _to use. I changed quickly into something comfortable, and hightailed it out of there. So many memories were threatening to choke me. I wonder, when my ride came, would they find me on the floor, killed by my own mind? Could memories do that?

_You're over-reacting again,_ I told myself with a small shake of my head. Trying to banish my nasty thoughts to the back of my mind, I went back into my room and busied myself with straightening up. I made my bed, put stuff away, cleaned some things, anything to pass the time. I grabbed my pillow(brought from the Cave) and threw it down by my bag so I wouldn't forget it.

Just as I put the last corner of my comforter in place, my eyes landed on the dark brown picture frame. I stared at it, feeling numb. Then, my body seemed to react before my mind could. I reached out, barely feeling my fingers close on the rough wood. I looked at it, and my eyes blurred in and out. I wasn't crying-too frozen to produce tears-but I just couldn't focus. This wasn't the first time it happened, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

I gripped the frame with the other hand, shaking. I willed myself to calm down, since I didn't want to drop the picture and break it. So, instead of putting it back on the shelf, I did a swift 180, and the picture landed with a small thump besides my other belongings that were going to Bats' house.

I felt my body begin to relax and I could see again. What was it about my family that just shut me down? It can't just be that I'm still grieving. Sure, I'm still hurting from my sister abandoning me, and my parents dying, but usually that died down. It's been five and four years, respectively. I know I wasn't supposed to forget, but it was supposed to get better, right?

It wasn't.

Did anyone else on the Team have family issues? Wally seemed cool with his, since his Uncle's the Flash and all. M'gann never said a word about her parents, and neither did Artemis. But, M'gann had such a loving relationship with her uncle. As far as I could tell, the blonde archer had no one. Either did I, for that fact. Maybe we could be alone together.

Conner seemed to be the only one with daddy issues, with Superman ignoring the boy like the plague. And there was Kaldur and Robin who also didn't talk about their parents. Jesus, what is wrong with my team? Not everyone is going to blow up once they hear a tiny detail of their lives. It makes us closer, more like a family. Sure, we all trusted each other, but would it kill them to tell me what their favorite color is?

_Hypocrite, _My conscious so kindly reminded me. But, my teammates weren't forced to do bad things. Very bad things.

The doorbell rang, making me jump. Grabbing my bag and pillow, I almost tripped over my feet when going to answer the door. On my doorstep, looking totally content, was a old man in a suit.

"Ms. Cross?" He had a British accent, and looked like every other stereotypical butler.

"That's me. Are you my ride to Batman's?" I asked politely, clipping Mira's leash to her collar.

"Indeed I am. If you'll come with me please," The man picked up my bag and walked to a limo. Well, isn't Bats being fancy shmansy?

I locked the door and hastily followed. The man had opened the backseat door-probably done it his whole life, or most of it- and was waiting patiently for me to go in.

"Uh, thank you, Mr…"

"Please call me Alfred," He introduced himself, and I slid onto the leather seat. Mira jumped in after me, and settled down, her head in my lap.

"So, are we heading to Batman's first?" I asked after a pause.

Alfred looked at me through the review mirror, "That is correct, Ms. Cross. Then, I will place your dog at the daycare, so ordered."

I nodded, then looked out the window. I watched as my neighborhood slipped past and the scenery changed into places I recognized less and less. There was Wayne Tower, owned by Gotham's millionaire playboy, Bruce Wayne. Whenever I looked up at the building, I had asked about the man who owned it.

"Bruce Wayne? He's nothing special. He got his fortune from his father, the real hero of Gotham City, and uses it to buy expensive toys and all the women he can fit into that mansion of his," My father would shake his head, his mouth a thin line.

My mother would come and glare or frown at him, "Elliot, you have no reason to dislike the man. He's done nothing but good for the city."

My father would turn and look at her, "You've never met him, Olivia."

"Neither have you," She retorted, and that usually ended the conversation.

After they died, I still continued to look up at the building, still wondering about Bruce Wayne. Was he like what my dad said, or what my mom said? Both? It's not like I ever had the opportunity to meet the guy.

"We're almost there," Alfred announced, and I finally began to feel nervous. I mean, I was seeing Batman's house and how he lived in it. I bet very few people got to do that.

The limo turned down a street, and was met with thick, black gates. Alfred spoke something, I couldn't hear what it was. The gates soon opened, and Alfred resumed driving.

"This is where you you'll be staying, Ms. Cross," Alfred gestured to the building at the top of the winding road. I looked up at it, and recognized it immediately.

"Oh. My. God."


	21. Chapter 21: Revealing Secrets

**My longest chapter to write, and the best one to date. It was so much fun writing this part, and more fluffy Robin/Lexi stuff ^^ And, not to be Debbie Downer here, but I noticed that reviews have gone down a lot. Is the story not holding your guys' interest? Please tell me if you still like the story, because it's reassuring. No, I'm not gonna go crazy with the complaining, but it always feels nice to have reviews.**

**Ok, rant over. Please enjoy the chapter! ^^**

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><p>"Bats lives here?" I breathed as I looked up at the giant mansion in front of me.<p>

"Of course," Alfred said smoothly, leading the way to the door. My bag was in his hand, but he acted like it was the crown jewels. I followed him curiously up the driveway, too shocked to even think. Mira was still in the car, staring out at me.

"This way, Ms. Cross," Alfred opened the door to the large house, and ushered to me through.

"Woah," I breathed. The ceiling reached high above my head, a glass chandelier hanging above the large foyer.

A tall man walked up from one of the many hallways that littered the room. He wore a suit, and had short cropped brown hair. His eyes were the same color, and they were guarded.

"Good, you got here," He told us, and I blinked, the voice sounded so familiar…

"Do I know you?" I asked.

Alfred looked at the man, slightly surprised, "You didn't tell her yet?"

"Tell me what?"

"I was getting to that," The man replied through clenched teeth.

"Tell me what?" I repeated.

The man cleared his throat, and held out his hand, "Bruce Wayne."

I couldn't contain my shock. I couldn't believe I was shaking the hand of the man that my father had hated, and my mother had liked.

Finally, the connection clicked in my mind. The voice, the way he carried himself, the guarded face.

"Bats?" I gasped. Bruce Wayne was Batman. Batman was Bruce Wayne. I could barely wrap my head around it.

"I do have a life outside crime-fighting," His voice took on a lighter tone.

"Yeah, being the playboy you are," I muttered.

"What?"

"I mean, I figured. But, I didn't imagine you'd be Gotham's millionaire!"

"As supposed to?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I dunno. Just not someone famous!"

"No suspects the rich guy," He turned to Alfred, "Ready the guest room and take her bag up, please."

"Certainly, Master Bruce," Alfred picked up my duffle once more and walked up the stairs that were right in front. Man, this place was huge!

"Lexi, I have some things to do. Alfred will be back soon. Please stay here until he or I come back. Don't go anywhere," Bats, I mean Bruce, turned and disappeared down the same hallway he came from.

I scoffed. Exploring was in my nature! I wasn't going to stay here when there were thousands of rooms for me to explore! So, I picked a random hallway and started down stealth-like, glancing over my shoulder every few times to make sure Bruce nor Alfred had come back for me.

"Bruce? I got the papers you wanted!" Another familiar voice echoed down the hallway. The body followed the voice, confirming my suspicions.

"Bruce?" Robin called again. I saw him, walking down in his civvies, but something was off. It wasn't that he wasn't in his uniform, but _he wasn't wearing his mask._

Robin looked up, yelping and covering his eyes. I only saw the whites of them before they were behind his hand.

"Lexi? What the heck are you doing here?" He asked, fishing his sunglasses out of his pocket. He put them on and then opened his eyes from behind the shades.

I grinned at his confused face, "Didn't Brucey tell you? I'm your new houseguest!"

"What, why?" He didn't wait for an answer, "BRUCE!"

Bruce appeared, annoyed, "What is it? And Lexi, didn't I tell you to stay in the foyer?"

"Something like that," I said while Robin asked "What is she doing here?" At least he was taking it fine. Or I hoped.

"Lexi wasn't safe in her house." No explanation asked, and none was given.

"You never show compassion," Robin pointed out.

"Ms. Cross, your room is ready," Alfred broke in, stopping Bruce from replying and things getting more awkward then it already was. Thank you, Alfred!

"I'll see you later!" I waved good-naturedly at the two, and followed Alfred back into the foyer. We walked up the steps I saw earlier, then down a hallway, another hallway, and then to a room. My mind was spinning; how would I remember the way back down? Most likely I'll get lost and would have to scream would help. Now that would be embarrassing!

"Here is your room. I hope everything is to your liking," Alfred opened the door to the large room.

"Thank you," I told him, and he nodded, "I will take your dog to the daycare now." He shut the door and left me alone.

The room was bigger than the one I had at one, with spring green walls and a white carpet, and had various furniture around. To my left was a white vanity with a matching seat, and on the right was a light brown wood. There was a closet(walk-in!) on the back wall, and next to it was a queen sized bed. The frame was the same material as the dresser, and the comforter was white with green leaves. It was a nice room, no doubt.

Alfred kindly put the bag and my pillow on the bed, and having nothing else to do, I might as well put everything away. I was staying here for a while, after all. First thing I did was replace one of the pillows with my own. The orange looked so out of place among the white and green, but I liked it. It brought chaos to the pristine order of the Wayne Manor.

I hung up all my nice clothes, while the others went into the dresser. Bathroom products went into the adjacent bathroom, obviously, and my other 'prepping' stuff went on the vanity. I also took out the book I was reading, and my sketchbook. Both were placed on the nightstand next to the bed.

The only thing left in my bag was the photo I brought. I brought it out and sat on the bed, forcing myself to look at it. Not to just freak out, to really, truly look at it.

It was a picture of a family. Well, my family. I don't exactly remember what happened the day the picture was taken, but we were outside, and happy. My sister and I had our arms around each other, both smiling ear to ear. It was weird seeing my sister smile, even if it was a picture. In the last few weeks I saw her, her face was always emotionless, or more common, a scowl. She was like Bats in that aspect.

My dad had a hand on my shoulder, grinning. His eyes were shining from underneath the thin glasses he wore. His free hand was wrapped around my mother's shoulders. She in turn had her hand around his waist, and her other hand rested lightly on my sister. It was a good day, and I wish I could go back to those days.

Maybe not. Because, as bad as it sounds, without all that happened to them, I wouldn't have met Bats. I wouldn't have met the Team, or Robin.

A knock startled me, and I quickly placed the photo on the nightstand.

"Come in!" I called, and the door creaked open, "Oh hey, Robin."

"Settling in?" He asked, leaning on the doorframe.

"Yep. What's up?"

"Bruce wants me to give you a tour of the manor."

I raised an eyebrow, "The whole manor? Isn't it kind of big for that?"

"I'll show you the basics. Come on," He turned, and I followed.

"As you know, this is your room," He waved to my room, and walked down the hallway, by passing the other rooms until we came into the foyer again.

"The foyer," Robin said, then led me into a room with just a table, "Dining room. Dinner's at six, by the way." I nodded, and we continued into the kitchen, where Robin told me that Alfred does all the cooking.

We traveled through the gaming room, the gym, and various other important rooms, Robin making side comments("Wally likes to hang out here." and "This is where I spend most of my time.")

He showed me a giant library, and, my favorite, the art room.

"How does Bruce get all this stuff?" I asked, picking up an expensive brand of markers made only in South Korea.

Robin shrugged, "We get lots of visitors. Some are artists."

"You now know where I'll be spending my time," I laughed.

"You like art?"

I nodded, "Love it. I carry my sketchbook everywhere."

"Can I see some of your drawings?" He asked.

I bit my lip, "Maybe later." An idea was forming in my head.

"Can you find your way back to your room?" Robin asked.

I smiled, "I think I'm capable of finding it."

"Well, if you need help, just shout."

"I won't need help," I assured him, then walked out of the art room, but not without a promise to be back.

* * *

><p>I smiled down at my work. The hair fell in front of the soft eyes, the cape was swept back by an unseen wind, and the smile was genuine. This person I drew truly wanted to help humans, to learn about them. It was finally finished. All I need was to color it, and the art room had everything I needed and more. But, I glanced at the clock, that would have to wait. Robin told me dinner was at six, and it was six now. I sprang out of my bed, grabbing the book off the nightstand.<p>

I almost tripped over my feet, running down the steps. Batman didn't like tardiness, and it's a safe bet to say Bruce didn't either. That was pushed back into my mind when I found I could locate the dining room without being lost.

"I'm here!" I cried, breathless. All three of them looked up from their plates.

"How nice of you to join us," Bruce said flatly as I slid into the first seat my eyes landed on. Robin was on my right, Bruce on my left, while Alfred was across from me.

I noticed that a plate of food had already been placed in front of me, so I picked up a fork and stabbed a stray carrot. I brought the fork to my mouth, and the book to my face. I only read a page when a short cough interrupted me.

The three residents of the Wayne Manor were staring at me. I was confused until I followed on of their gaze's too my book.

Horrified, I snapped it shut, "S-Sorry! I always read at dinner…I-I'll just put it away," I dropped the book by my feet, flustered. My first day, and I already made a fool of myself.

The silent room was once again filled with dinner sounds. I stared at the meat on my plate, trying to decide what it was.

"Roasted duck, Ms. Cross," Alfred informed, and I nodded my thanks. I cut into the tender meat, and cautiously took a bite. Delicious flavors exploded in my mouth and I let out a moan of happiness.

Robin snickered, "I bet you never had duck before."

I kept my eyes on the food, "I haven't."

"Not everyone eats like us, Robin," Bruce told the shocked boy. Activity picked up once again, but more quickly, as if the room itself wanted to get rid of the uncomfortable moment.

There were a couple of reasons why I never had duck before:

1.) I never had good cooking skills, unless ramen counted.

2.) I don't have enough money to spend on expensive ingredients.

And 3.) I don't have the time to cook such a carefully prepared meal. More so now than before, since I'm on the Team.

The dinner was filled with light chatter, such as Bruce asking Robin about his school, and Alfred asking Bruce about his work. No one really addressed me, but I tried to converse as best as I could.

When my plate was clean, I stood up, "Thank you, Alfred, for the wonderful meal," I gripped the plate and headed for the kitchen.

"Stop!" I obliged, and turned. Alfred was hurrying towards me, and took the plate from my hands, "Let me get that, Ms. Cross."

"No, no, Alfred, it's fine."

"Ms. Cross, my job is to take care of you. Please let me do that," I let go of the plate, and the butler carried it into the kitchen.

"Still not used to being waited on," I muttered, and Robin laughed.

"Where are you going?" Bruce asked.

"To go work on a project. Why? Should I stay?"

Bruce waved a hand, "Not necessary. Go work on your project," Obviously dismissed, I headed back to my room, getting slightly lost on the way. Curling back on the bed, I set my drawing aside, and started on a new one, sketching out the face. I decided I would draw all of them first, then color.

"Hey," Robin's voice made me jump.

"Woah, sorry!" He walked over, and tried to look at my work. I protectively put a hand over it.

"I can't look?"

"Nope," I stared up at him, serious.

"Why not? Is it for me?"

"Nope," I repeated.

Robin frowned, "Then why can't I see it?"

"Because."

"You're always so secretive," Robin snorted, and I grinned.

"What's the point if everyone knows about you?"

"You end up like Wally," He and I shared a laugh, and then a period of silence. It wasn't an awkward silence like the one at dinner. This silence was more comfortable. Like we didn't need to talk to enjoy each other's company.

"Well, I'll leave you to your work," Robin gave a small wave and headed out the door. The weird thing was, I didn't want him to go.

I stared after him, then gave my head a small shake. I turned back to my drawing. I drew the outline of the person's hair, pulled back into a sharp ponytail. I threw myself into the art, blocking out every thought. It was just me, the pencil, and the paper. Nothing could separate us.

* * *

><p>My head bowed low, and it took all my strength to pick it up again. My eyes hurt, and my hand was most likely dead. Four hours of continuous drawing, but the picture was no where near finished. It needed more. Maybe more feathers to the arrow? Or more definition to the muscles?<p>

I didn't get too far, because my body fell forward with exhaustion. That was enough for tonight. I placed my picture and pencil on the nightstand, right in front of the photo. I got up from the cramped position I had taken up for the past four hours. My body screamed in protest as I stretched, flexing the hunched up muscles. I then walked over to the dresser, pulling out some pajamas. I quickly changed, and collapsed into the soft bed. The comforter provided instant warmth, and I snuggled down into a ball.

My mind was racing with the events of the day. Bruce Wayne was actually Batman, and Robin was living with him! I've always thought Robin had a family to go to. Maybe he does, but the way Robin and Bruce interact, it's more than just mentor and protégé. It was a son-father relationship. I felt a pain of envy. Robin had a parent, whereas I had no one.

But I couldn't hold that against Robin. He deserved every kind of happiness he has. Me? I was lucky to have friends, even if I didn't see them in school. Sure, Barbara and Bette from Gotham Academy were nice, but neither of us had really made an attempt to go farther than a few polite words. Should I change that?

My thoughts wandered around until I felt my eyes grow heavy. Within moments, I was taken into sleep's embrace.

* * *

><p>"<em>Lexi, honey!" I stared, mouth open, at the two people in front of me.<em>

"_Why are you staring at us like that. Come give me a hug!" My dad opened his arms, and I didn't hesitate. I felt his strong hands pulling me close, and I cried into his shirt._

"_Don't leave me again," I sobbed._

"_Alex? What's wrong?" My mother asked, worry in her tone._

"_She says we left her," Dad whispered._

"_Left? We'd never leave her," A new voice. One that made me look up from my dad._

"_Adelaide?" I looked up at my sister. She was staring down at me, her dark blue eyes narrowed._

"_Who else would it be?" She gave her blonde locks a shake, "You may be annoying, but you are my sister."_

_I detached myself from Dad and grabbed my sister in a giant bear hug._

"_Woah, Squirt. Too much," She gave a slight push._

"_Dear, are you still afraid of fire?" Mom asked._

_I flinched, "Yeah."_

"_Good," A dark voice echoed, and I looked up at my family. They were no longer human, but fire beings. Dark holes were carved into the flames that resembled eyes and mouths. They all raised their hands, and the room exploded into fire._

_I swallowed and coughed as smoke made its way into my lungs._

"_What happened?" I cried out as the beings advanced on me._

"_Oh nothing, just playing, sister dear," said the shortest fire person. It still had Addy's voice, but no way it was my sister._

"_Playing?" I wiped the sweat off of my brow._

_Suddenly, seven spotlight came out of no where, illuminating seven people. Seven very familiar people._

_Robin, Wally, Artemis, Conner, M'gann, Kaldur, and Zatanna were all bound with ropes, the flames licking at their feet._

"_No! Let go of them!" I cried._

"_Where's your loyalty?" 'Dad' asked._

"_You'd pick your friends over your own family?" 'Mom' taunted._

"_You're not my family!" I tried to create water, but couldn't. I tried again and again, but this place seemed to have gotten rid of my powers._

_Their screams assaulted my ears. The flames were upon them, burning skin until it was black. It was so horrifying that I had to look away._

"_What's wrong? Too weak to save your _family_? 'Addy' spat._

"_Stop it!" I yelled, tears running down my ash covered face._

"_How about no?"_

"_Please!" I begged, but the screaming seemed in increase. I couldn't take it. My hands covered my ears, but somehow I could still hear them._

"_STOP!" I screamed, sinking to my knees. I curled up into a tight ball, until at last the screams faded away._

"_Too weak!" _

I screamed, bolting up and throwing off my comforter. I felt like I have been dipped in lava, so I ran into the bathroom, splashing water on my face and gulping down a cup.

It cooled me down a little, but I still felt the heat. It was too stuffy in here. I needed fresh air; I needed to get out!

I sprinted from the bathroom and across the bedroom to the door, but not before my hand brushed against something. Without thought, my fingers gripped it, and I took the item with me, not bothering to check what it was.

Once I got to the foyer, I picked a random hallway. I wasn't dumb to go and just walk out of the front door. It probably has alarms or whatever else Batman's paranoid mind could think of.

I found a latter going up, and there was only one way to find out where it led. I grabbed the first rung with my hands, sweat filling my palms. I climbed it without much difficulty, not to mention thought. There was a trapdoor at the top, and I tried the handle. It moved a little, but it was rusted shut. So, I put my weight on it, and the hatch gave, swinging upward with a creak and a thud. I cringed, waiting for someone to wake up and turn on the lights. But, no one came, and I climbed through, landing on the roof of the Wayne Manor.

I gasped, the view here was amazing! I could see all of Gotham City from here. No wonder Batman resides here; he can see everything that went on in his precious city.

But, it still wasn't enough. I raised a large rock from the ground, and stepped onto it. I made it float high into the clouds, were the stars were the brightest without the light pollution.

My mind finally calmed down enough to remember my dream. I had my family back again, but my they burned my friends to death. By far the worst nightmare I ever had, yet it wasn't caused by Slade. I didn't know how to feel about that. It was good Slade hadn't caused it, but it was a terrible nightmare. Good or bad? Bad. Definitely bad.

My body registered that I had something in my hand, and I looked down at it. Small wonder that it was the picture of my family. It also wasn't surprising that a tear landed on my sister's smiling face. She was gone, they were gone, and there was no going back.

"Hey! What are you doing up there?" Robin called. I didn't reply, but flicked my wrist. Smaller rocks flew into the air, creating steps to the rock I was sitting on. Robin ran up like a cat, making no sound. When he stepped on, the smaller rocks fell to the ground once more.

I scooted over, turning my face so Robin wouldn't see me crying.

"Stunning view," Robin said, then looked at me, "Don't you-hey, are you crying?"

I wiped my eyes, "No."

"C'mon, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Lexi, that's not good, keeping secrets."

For some reason, that statement made me laugh. I turned to him, "A bit hypocritical, don't you think?"

He protested, "That's-"

"Different. I know," I broke in, and sighed.

"You know you can talk to me, right?" Robin pressed.

I nodded, but couldn't say anything. How would he react to what I could tell him?

"What's that?" Robin asked, leaning closer to look at the photo. My grip tightened on the frame, turning my knuckles white.

"Lexi, let me see. Lexi," Robin place his hand over mine, and instant warmth spread through my body. I loosened my grip, and he gently took the picture. I finally looked at him, more exactly, his expression.

He just stared at the photo, not reacting. He actually looked interested.

"Is this you?" He pointed to the girl with brown hair and aqua eyes.

"Yeah. I was eight then."

"And your…?"

"Sister." I told him.

"I didn't know you had a sister," Robin looked at me expectantly.

I just shrugged, "Not a lot of people to do."

"And your parents?"

I brought my knees to my chest, "Gone."

"Gone? As in…dead?" I nodded in confirmation.

Robin stared at me, worry on his face, "Lexi, are you alone?"

"Yep."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

I looked out at the stars, "It's not important."

"Not important?" His hand gripped mine, "Lexi, that's extremely important! How can you live without some sort of family?"

I smiled a little, "I gave up on family years ago."

"What happened?"

I swallowed, my throat closing up. It was now or never, and I guess Robin deserved to know about me. So I did something I never thought I would do: I opened up.

"Adelaide wasn't the perfect sister. Not by a long shot. She was about six years older than I was, and always the trouble-maker. At an early age, she fell into a bad crowd of people far older than her. She gotten her first taste of alcohol at age thirteen. Her first drug a year later. She even went as far as getting arrested, though she was just sent home with a warning.

"I think I was cause of her bad behavior, since my parents liked me the best. I'm not full of it, that was truly how it was. Then, one summer night, I was sitting on my sister's bed, watching her pack. I was nine, my sister was fifteen. I begged, I pleaded, I cried to make her stay. But she wouldn't hear me. She just kept on packing, determined to run away from our parents."

"She ran away?" Robin gasped.

"Yeah. Addy always ran away before, but it was only for a few hours, and she always came back. But this time, this time it was for real. She packed her bag, opened her window, and ran away. I promised to never stop thinking about her," My voice dropped to a whisper, "I haven't broken it."

"You still care about her," Robin stated, and I let out a cynical laugh.

"Far from it. I just don't like breaking promises."

"I think you still love her."

"You think wrong. I have no feelings for my sister except utter contempt. How can I love someone who abandoned me and left me alone?" A tear found its way down my cheek, "She left me alone, Robin."

"What happened to your parents?" He switched the subject, but it wasn't such a great move.

"My parents were good people. My mom was scientist, and my dad was the manager of a large company. They were fair and kind, treated others the way they would want to be treated. They taught my sister and I manners and life lessons. I have no idea why Addy hated them so much. They were just trying to set her on the right path. When she ran away, they just, I dunno, fell apart. My mom cried all the time and buried herself in support groups. My dad was worse. He would lock himself in his office for hours on end, never coming out until the sun rose. I didn't see him a lot, and when I did, he had more wrinkles and bags than I could count.

"In a last-ditch effort, we went out to a fancy restaurant. And just my luck, it was robbed. My parents had pushed us underneath one of the overturned tables. The robbers didn't find anyone to kill, so they set the place on fire," My voice shook, and more tears were released, "My parents told me to get out. I-I wouldn't leave them, but they made me. So, I climbed out, and found the nearest firefighter. I said , no, I screamed, that my parents were still inside. Just when he promised me they would save them, t-the p-place collapsed on itself." I cried into my hands, my body shaking with the sobs, "It was my fault they died. I could've controlled the flames! I could've moved the wreckage! But, I stood there and watched them die, all because of the small fear that I would be yelled at for lying about my powers. It's all my fault!"

Arms circled me, and I found myself being pulled into an embrace. Robin held me close, smoothing my hair down. I felt terrible about staining Robin's shirt, but he didn't seem to care.

"Lexi, you're beating yourself up. You didn't kill them," He soothed, and I sobbed harder. The wind had picked up, blowing fiercely, but we both acted like it wasn't there.

"I did! I k-killed them!"

"No you didn't," Robin held me back, looking into my eyes, "You had no idea that the place would cave in on itself. Look at it this way: if you stayed, you wouldn't have met Bats and the Team!"

"You really believe I'm innocent?" I whispered.

I really believe that," Robin shook my shoulders a little, "Did you get any sleep?"

"Maybe. I don't remember," I felt my cheeks go red when I spied Robin's shirt, "Oh jeez. That's embarrassing."

He laughed, "My shirt? Don't worry about it. It was well worth it."

"What?" I raised an eyebrow.

"You finally opened up! And not only that, you actually cried in front of someone!"

"And that's embarrassing. You probably think I'm really weak," I looked away.

'_Too weak?'_

"Weak? Lexi, that is the exact opposite of what I'm thinking."

"Then what are you thinking?"

Robin told me, "That you are an extremely trusting person. No, really!" He added when I laughed, "You let down your guard and cried to someone. To me, that's the ultimate sign of trust. You should open up more often; I like you this way."

"And you didn't like me before?"

"No, no! It's just…nice to see another side of you. One that's capable of human feelings."

I flicked him on the shoulder, "Shut up. And now, since I shared basically my whole life to you, you have to tell me something."

"What's that?" Robin asked.

"Who are you. I mean, outside of being Robin."

"I can't tell you," He said seriously.

"Why not?"

"Bruce's rules."

"That's so weird!" I burst out, "Bruce is probably one of the most secretive people on Earth, yet he let me know who he was. But you can't give me a lousy name?"

"No," He paused, "Maybe one day."

I stood up, "I swear, Robin, I will unmask you."

He laughed, "I'd like to see you try. I leave no clues."

"No matter," I waved a hand.

"Hey, Lexi?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you let us down?" I nodded, and guided the rock down to the roof. We both stepped off, found the trapdoor, and climbed back into the manor.

"How did you know I was up there?" I asked.

He shrugged, "Instinct?" I left the conversation there. We walked into the foyer and up the stairs, but had to depart.

"Robin," I faced him, "You can't tell anyone about this."

He frowned, "Why? If your worried about what the Team will think, trust me when I say there are far worst secrets."

_Wanna bet? _"Please, just do this one thing for me."

He hesitated, but nodded, "Alright."

"Thank you."

"Oh, and Lexi?"

"Yeah?"

The Boy Wonder looked slightly uncomfortable, "I want to say I was sorry. You know, for when we first met? And for that thing with Zatanna. I was a complete jerk to you. You didn't deserve that, because you're a pretty asterous person."

I smiled, and bear hugged Robin, "You didn't need to apologize. But thank you," I pulled back, "You're pretty asterous too."

"You know it," Robin grinned, then yawned, "I'm going to sleep. G'night, Lexi. Sweet dreams."

"You too, Rob. Sweet dreams," I echoed, then walked back into my room.

I wasn't worried about the nightmares tonight. They could come up with the worst, but that was okay when I had friends like Robin keeping me sane.

It was disturbing to think about, but what would happen if any of them found out about my connections to Slade? What would happen to me then? I would truly be alone then.

But, I couldn't let myself wander to those thoughts. They wouldn't find out; not when I guarded my secrets so closely. I knew Slade would try and tell them, but I just had to keep them away from him.

Fatigue came over me, and I climbed into bed, almost certain I fell asleep with a smile on my face.


	22. Chapter 22: Firebrand

**So, as an apology for my ranting, I wiped up a chapter real quick! :D Reviews are awesome, but they don't matter, as long as I enjoy writing, right? So, a short action chapter, with more Lexi/Robin fluff. Jeez, I can't stop writing those two, it's so cute ^.^**

**Without further ado, Chapter 22!**

* * *

><p>My internal clock wasn't being nice to me. Not at all. Not only did it wake me up before the first sign of dawn, it wouldn't let me go back to sleep. I rolled around and around in my bed, trying to close my eyes, but whenever I was just about to fall asleep, my mind would wake me up.<p>

So, giving up on getting more than four hours of sleep, I crept down the stairs to the foyer. Calling upon my memories of Robin's tour, I found my way to the kitchen. Both Robin and Bruce told me that Alfred dealt with food and everything that had to do with it, but since I lived alone for the past four years, it's really odd to have someone waiting on you twenty four-seven.

Ah, the perks of being rich.

I went through the cupboards, frowning at the choices. I didn't know what I wanted, but Bruce Wayne had nothing but really weird, expensive ingredients. God forbid Bruce Wayne having _normal _snacks and being _normal._

My eyes spied a jar of peanut butter, so I grabbed that. Grape jelly was conveniently located next to the peanut spread, so I grabbed that too. I found the bread in the giant fridge(Who puts bread in the refrigerator?) , and fixed myself a small peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"What are you doing?" Robin asked, scaring me. I accidentally inhaled a bite of my sandwich and started choking.

"Sorry!" Robin cried, opening the fridge and taking out a water. I accepted it and poured the cold liquid down my throat.

"Better," I sighed, and screwed the cap back on.

"Didn't mean to scare you!"

"You do that often, don't you?" I asked lightly.

He didn't answer, but said, "You could've let Alfred make that for you."

I grimaced, "I'm not waking anyone up just to make me a sandwich. I can take care of myself."

"I know, but doesn't it feel nice to have something in the minute it takes for you to call for it?" Robin smirked.

"Whatever happened to productivity and actually doing something yourself?"

"Touché." I was glad Robin wasn't bringing up last night. Or was it this morning? Oh, whatever.

"And to answer your first question: I couldn't sleep so I came down to eat."

"You too, eh? Nightmares?"

"No. Just my body trolling me."

Robin grinned, "Sometimes it's fun to be trolled. Only if you can troll back."

"And so speaks the master!" I exclaimed dramatically. By then I had finished my sandwich, and was heading out of the kitchen, Robin trailing behind.

"So, it's gonna be dawn soon. Want to hang out?"

"Lexi," Robin stopped, staring intently at nothing.

"You don't want to hang out? That's cool. I bet Bruce has a mission for us today anyways."

"Lexi," Robin said again.

"What, do you-"

"Shh!" He gripped my arm, "Don't you hear that?"

When his last word was spoken, I focused seriously. My ears were straining, but I caught it. It was a faint beep, like the one on a phone to remind you that someone called.

The sound increased, releasing more beeps, until it was one continuous note.

"Oh my god," The blood drained for my face when I realized what it was.

"Get down!" Robin commanded, and I hit the deck, covering my neck with my hands. I felt him go low next to me, and the next few seconds were slowed in time.

The wall to my left exploded, debris flying everywhere. It was like an orchestra, that that was the first note, and the rest just had the command to play. More explosions, more damage. The whole Wayne Manor has engulfed in flames!

I coughed, and fought back tears, "Robin, Robin, you ok?"

He looked up, his black hair illuminated by the fire, "Yeah. You?"

"Inches away from burning death, but I'm as good as can be."

"Robin!" A shout made us look up. Bruce and Alfred, both in pajamas, were looking down at us with worried expressions. They carefully made their ways to us, both almost getting hit by falling beams.

"What happened? Are you two ok?" Bruce asked, grabbing Robin's arm and hauling him up. Alfred helped me to my feet in a gentler manner.

"Bomb!" Robin got out before his body was racked by coughs.

"Master Wayne, we need to get out of here," Alfred said from beside me.

Bruce nodded, "The front door is the best idea," Like a soldier, he went first, Alfred behind him, then me, and Robin took up the rear. We constantly had to look out for falling items that could crush us, and for fires that were just waiting for the opportunity to kill us.

I couldn't have anyone else die like this. Of course I was worried about my own safety, but they were more important than I. Me dying by flames would give Karma and Justice their peace at last, but I couldn't let Death claim these three people that were really important to me.

Then, I had a sickening thought. The photo of my family was still in my room, still in its frame on the nightstand. The fire couldn't wait to burn the last picture of my family I had. I couldn't lose them again. That was my only piece of them.

So I did a truly dumb thing: I turned on my heel and dashed past Robin, ready to rescue the picture.

"What do you think you're doing?" Robin cried frantically, latching on and pulling me towards the door.

"I have to save them!" I hissed.

"Who?"

"The photo! I have to save the photo!"

Robin pulled harder, "It's not the time! We have to save you!"

"But…" I stopped, staring at the fire filled room.

"COME ON!" Robin gave one last yank, and I was on my feet, running farther away from my family. I couldn't save them then, and I couldn't do it now.

The light that filtered through the front door gave me hope, and I put on a burst of speed. I ran through the door, and gulped in the fresh air.

Bruce and Alfred were standing in the driveway, and I caught up with them, ready to throw up my lungs.

Bruce looked up at me. Correction, he was looking behind me, "Where's Robin?"

I followed Bruce's gaze and slowly turned around, awfulness filling to my every core. Robin was running behind me, I saw him! But yet, he wasn't there.

"Robin?" I called, no answer. "Robin, this isn't funny!" My screams were becoming hysteric.

"He must've ran back inside," Alfred mused.

"But why?" Bruce asked, and my heart stopped. The picture! He went back to get my picture! If he died, oh my god, I would never forgive myself.

"Where are you going?" Bruce grabbed my arm a little tighter than needed.

"Let go of me!" I snarled, struggling out of his grip.

"What do you think you're doing? You're going to get killed!" He was yelling.

"And leave Robin to die?" I yanked my arm free, "What kind of father are you?" I spun on my heel and ran back into the burning building.

My whole body was struck with the immense heat, and I could feel the ends of my hair burning off.

"Robin?" I called, then hacked as smoke made its way into my system. The flames were everywhere, hungrily devouring the priceless artifacts Bruce had acquired during his trips.

I searched like a bloodhound, even risking myself by lifting up damaged parts, splintering and burning my skin. Finally I found him, crushed underneath a particularly large beam.

"Robin!" I started to run to his side, but the fires grew, blocking my path to him.

"Robin, can you hear me?" I shouted to him, but he must've been unconscious, because he didn't even respond.

I stared into the fire, the one thing that I feared most. It was mocking me, daring me to face it so I could save Robin. I squeezed my eyes shut, but that didn't help. Fire burns brighter in the darkness.

This one element was the one thing I couldn't conquer. The fear of losing someone else to its grasp plagued me at every turn, and now it was coming true. I can't save Robin, because of my fear of him dying. Yeah, logic is like that.

I had to save Robin. Bruce would kill me for leaving him like this, and I knew I wouldn't be able to continue on, knowing that I could've saved him. He was my best friend! I can't leave him to die!

I took a calming breath, and focused intently on the flames in front of me. They seemed to twist and dance and beat like a real life. That's it! Fire wasn't just destruction, it was life as well. It deserved to live just as the other three elements. It had purpose for its existence.

I raised a shaky hand, and then brought it swiftly to the side. I opened an eye, but saw the despairing sight of the fire not moving.

_Lexi, concentrate! Save Robin, think of nothing else! _I willed myself, and through the inferno, I saw Robin still under that beam. Rage replaced the fear inside me. Why would he do this? Why would he want to hurt Robin? What did Slade have to gain?

He wanted to kill Robin to hurt me, but I refused to let him succeed. Trying to exterminate my best friend was a low blow, even for him.

The blaze seemed to enjoy my anger, and I simmered it down. Raising my hands once again, I focused just on the fire and my fury. My right hand flew up, and to my amazement, the flames followed. I dragged my left hand away from me, and the fire obeyed. Hope surged through me, and I parted a path to Robin, the fire gathering at the sides. I ran to him, falling to my knees.

"You'll be alright," I whispered, getting a grip on the steal beam. I let out a shout and tried with all my might, but the thing wouldn't budge. What I would do to have Conner right now. He could move it, no problem.

I placed my hands on the beams again, and feeling the earth particles inside, I broke it in half, than into another piece. I continued the pattern until Robin was no longer underneath it. I picked him up and threw him over my back, his hands dangling near my stomach.

Robin was heavy, but it wasn't the time to complain. I carried him all the way outside, and the relief on Bruce and Alfred's faces were reward enough.

The wail of the ambulance greeted me, and four firefighters ran up; one had a gurney.

"Did you save this young man?" One asked, and I nodded.

"You're very brave," Another said while trapping Robin down.

"We need to get him to the hospital, now!" They wheeled Robin away, dispatching him inside the white truck.

"Wait!" I called, and all eyes went to me.

"C-Can I ride with him?" I asked hesitantly.

"Of course," The nearest firefighter said. But I wasn't asking him. I stared at Bruce, waiting for his permission. After all, this was his son, and he probably wanted to be with him.

So that's why it was such a shock when Bruce gave the tiniest of nods. I walked over to the truck, and accepted the hand that hauled me inside. The doors closed, and the vehicle instantly ran into motion.

It was like someone disturbed a bees nest, as paramedics were shifting around in what little space there was, shouting orders and doing things to Robin I couldn't see. I just sat there quietly, looking on fearfully.

"Couple of broken ribs, sprained wrist, major burns all over his body. We'll have to take his sunglasses off. Who wears sunglasses before light, anyway?" I heard one of the doctors said.

"Is he going to die?" I asked from my spot, startling them.

"No, but he'll be in pain for a while. What's his name?"

I looked down at my feet and said the one name I knew, "Robin."

"Strange name for a boy…" One muttered.

"Are you his sister?" The guy who answered me asked. That shocked me, but I guess he was comparing my hair color to Robin's and Bruce's.

"No."

"Girlfriend?" He prompted, slightly sure that was the right answer.

"Nope. Just a good friend," I told him honestly.

He opened his mouth to say something, but someone cut him off, "Pulling up to ER now!"

"Right!" He called back, then turned to me again, "You're going to have to get out first, and fast. Robin needs the medical attention now."

I nodded, and turned my body to the double doors, readying myself to jump out.

"Now, let's go!" The guy called, and the doors were pulled open. I sprang out and jumped out of the way, while the paramedics pulled Robin's gurney into the hospital.

* * *

><p>"Dr. Martinez to room 106," A female said over the hospital's intercom. I couldn't help but wonder if that was where Robin was, unconscious in his bed.<p>

"Lexi!" I looked up, shocked when I saw the doors open. No one should be coming for me, since Bruce and Alfred were already with Robin. I stood up, who in the world would visit me?

I saw a flash of red, and suddenly I felt arms around me, giving me a tight embrace.

"Wally?" I asked, and he let go. Behind him, the whole team(including Roy) came running through the door. Huh, I didn't know Roy had blue eyes.

"We just heard about the fire! Are you ok?" Megan asked, also giving me a hug.

"I'm fine. Did you all drop everything as soon as you heard?"

Artemis nodded, "Of course! We had to see if you two were alright!"

"I ran all the way from Central City," Wally added.

I stared at him, "You ran all the way from Missouri to Connecticut?" I asked in a low tone.

"Yeah I did! We were so worried about you and Rob!"

I looked at the earnest and worried expressions of my friends' faces. Even Roy looked concerned, but he was probably more worried about Robin than myself.

"I'm so glad you're alright," Megan said.

"Where is Robin?" Kaldur asked.

"In the ER. Got hit by a falling beam," I said before anyone could ask.

"That's terrible!" Zatanna gasped.

"He's fine." _I hope._

As if someone was hearing my thoughts, a doctor came into the waiting room.

"Are you all here for Mr. Robin?" He asked, checking his clipboard.

"Yes, we are," Roy confirmed.

"Well, I have good news. Robin had a few broken ribs, a twisted wrist, and some second degree burns, but he will make a fine recovery."

The atmosphere physically relaxed as he said, "He's resting now, but I'll allow visitors later," The doctor looked studied all of us, "Is one of you Lexi Cross?"

"I am," I said.

"Then I should thank you. Without your heroism, Robin would've been in a much worse condition. To put it simply, you saved his life."

Those four words were all I needed to put a warm feeling inside me. It might have been too late to save my parents. But not for Robin; he lived, and I had saved him.

"Have you been checked out?" The doctor asked me.

"No, why?"

"Because, even from here, I can see that you have some bad burns."

I looked down at myself, and spotted reddened skin between my torn clothing. When they heard their names being called, they gave a throb, and I winced.

"Come on, we'll get you cleaned up," the man put an arm around me, and into one of the rooms.

* * *

><p>"Go right on in," The nurse said quietly, opening the door. It was plain, white walls, white floors. There was a cabinet and a bed, Robin lying still under the sterile sheets.<p>

I cursed under my breath when I saw he was wearing his sunglasses. Even when he was hurt, he wouldn't let anyone see who he really was. That boy would follow Bruce's orders til the end.

I pulled up the lone visitor's chair, and sat next to him. Somehow, Robin looked smaller when he was sleeping. I reached out a brushed the black bangs to the side. Then I took his hand in my own.

"Robin, you idiot," I whispered giving his hand a tight squeeze, "One day you're gonna get killed, and then where would I be?"

"On a world without me," I heard a mutter, and I stared at Robin. His eyes opened from underneath his sunglasses, and he grinned when he saw me.

"Hey, Cross," He croaked out, and I hugged him. He winced, and I let go.

"Sorry."

"It's fine. It's the good kind of pain," He looked up at me, "I saw you."

My brow furrowed, "Saw me?"

"Firebend. You did it, just before I passed out. You had it in you the whole time."

"Thanks. Wait, if you saw me control the flames, then why didn't you respond to my calls?"

"Uh, because a giant steal beam fell on top of my lungs?" He asked innocently.

I frowned sympathetically, "Batman's not going to let you go on missions for a while."

"I highly doubt that," He wiggled his eyebrows, "I can be very persuasive."

I laughed, and the door creaked open, "You have a minute left, Ms. Cross," the nurse informed me, and the door closed once again.

"Lexi, thank you. You saved me," Robin said sincerely.

"Anyone would've done the same," I said. And after a moment's hesitation, I leaned over and pressed my lips to his forehead, "Feel better."

I got up from my seat, and walked over to the door, shutting it behind me with a click.


	23. Chapter 23: Succumbing to Fear

**Ok, you can hate me now. For the ridiculously long chapter, and for what I'm doing in this long chapter. This took me three days to write, and as cruel as it sounds, it was so. much. fun.(Except towards the end. I got really lazy and sick of it that I ended it rather sloppily) The torture explained here are mixed between that one YJ comic(forgot which), GhostDog401's story 'What We Fear Most'(Check it out, a tearjerker, but so good! And yes, I got permission to use some of GhostDog's ideas.) and my own mind. This story also switches point of view. Some chapters will have that, but don't worry, I'll tell you when that happens. ^^**

**Please, review! And thanks for reading!**

* * *

><p>I shifted my weight to my other foot, carrying my body forward. I turned, and the water followed, flowing smoothly with my commands. I stopped moving it around, and froze the liquid into a icicle. With a large push, the thing was buried half into the ground.<p>

I took a breath, and held out an open palm to it. I narrowed my eyes, and flames erupted from my palm, and I jumped back in surprise. I had actually generated fire!

I focused again, and wasn't so startled when there was the sudden heat. The small orange flames swirled around the icicle until it was nothing more than a small puddle in the grass.

I sat back on the fountain's edge with a small smile. I was better than I felt in days. Robin had been released from the hospital, and was resting back at the Wayne Manor. Batman, or Bruce, forbade me from seeing him too much. He said I was disrupting his healing process, which was funny, because I was the one that saved his life. Plus we lived in the same house, it was impossible to ignore each other.

I was happy too because I finally had gotten over my fear of fire! I never had been able to generate fire before, probably because my fear of it prevented me from feeling the fire inside me. But, I had faced it head on, and now I could bend it, just like the other elements.

Mind you, I was still a novice. I could barely make enough fire to light a candle. It mostly worked when a fire was already existing, and even then, I wasn't very good. That's why I've been practicing away from the Cave; I was afraid that I could hurt someone with my little control of the overwhelming element.

Three slow claps forced me back to reality. I looked around, but no one seemed to be there.

"Hello, Alexandra," The monotone voice reached my ears, and I jumped to my feet, looking behind me. Through the fountain, I could see him standing there like a bad omen. Which is Slade was.

"I wondered where you were. You've been quite inactive since you set the Wayne Manor on fire," I told him, venom coating my words.

"You found out that was me? I'm proud."

I was disgusted, "I also found out that you were the one who was spying on me! You are such a pedophile, watching a fourteen year old girl!"

Slade held up a hand, "I was just observing."

"More likely making sure I didn't tell anyone of the appalling things you have done," I spat out.

"I wasn't worried about that," I jumped as Slade's voice came from right next to my ear, "You would never do it."

"You don't know me," I snarled, taking a fighting stance.

"How cute, you want to fight me? With what, the little flames you can now control?"

I was surprised, but didn't ask how he knew. He just knew.

I drew water from the fountain and sent a wave towards him. He nonchalantly dodged, and I couldn't tell where he went.

"Where did you go?" I muttered, and there was a sound behind me.

"I think you need some sleep," Slade said. I puzzled the words until a cloth was shoved into my face. I smelled the sickly scent of anesthetic, and I was loosing consciousness fast. But that didn't stop me from sending a hateful glare up at him before letting go of reality entirely.

* * *

><p><strong>*Two days later*<strong>

* * *

><p>I blinked open my eyes, and closed them again as my head throbbed. I willed my head to stop hurting, but it wouldn't listen, and I was forced to open my eyes again.<p>

I was laying on my bed, staring at the ceiling. It was dark wherever I was, but that didn't stop from me seeing the shine.

I sat up a little too quickly, and cringed as my head gave another throb of protest. I brushed my hair out of my face, and squinted into the darkness. The only light in the dreary place came from some orange colored windows, and a large computer in front of me. I hissed when I realized where I was; even in the dark I would know this place anywhere.

"So glad to see you awake, dearest," Slade appeared out of the haze like a ghost. I placed a hand out in front of me, and felt the smooth surface.

"Glass? Really?" I rolled my eyes at the choice. _No fear. Show no fear._

"I couldn't take any chances. I was going to use wood, but then you got over your fear, and I had to rethink," He explained it like a science project.

"Why did you kidnap me? I won't work for you," I crossed my arms.

"I'm playing a game. And this time you're not a player, Alexandra. You are the prize."

"Prize?" I quickly contained my shock, "I guess my teammates are the players."

"Very good. You catch on fast," Slade praised.

"And can you explain what this game is?" I asked.

"Now, now. There is no need to be impatient. All will be starting in a while."

I watched him carefully for any clues, but no dice. If there was one person who guarded their secrets more than Batman, it was Slade.

I decided to keep him talking, "There was something you told me back at the gala that I was curious about."

The gray eye widened, "Oh? And what was that?"

"If I recall correctly, you told me that you had an apprentice. One before me. Who was it?"

"You don't need-"

"Who. Was. It." I cut him off, emphasizing every word.

Slade waved a hand, "Just a geokinetic with some….problems."

"What did you do with them?" I asked.

"Why do you want to know?" He asked in turn.

"What did you do with them?" I repeated.

"Irrelevant," Slade looked at the computer, "Just a few more preparations before I can get on with my master plan."

"And what is-" My sentence ended abruptly as a current coursed through my body. It wasn't like anything I have felt before. The pain was so blinding that I almost blacked out. But, as quickly as it came, the shock ended, leaving me gasping on the floor.

"What…..the hell….did you do….to me?" I panted out between breaths.

"Such language," Slade tsked, "Just an electric shock to keep you in line."

"What? Afraid I'll run your petty plan?" I don't know how, but I still had the energy to taunt him.

"It's all just apart of the game," He said darkly, and walked back into the darkness, leaving me alone.

There was no way to track time while I was trapped in this glass box. But what I did know was that the shocks were periodically, because maybe an hour after Slade left, it came back. I almost blacked out again, and I felt my energy escaping me. I barely had enough to drag myself back to a sitting position.

Slade strolled in soon after the second shock, and I shouted, "Are you trying to kill me?"

He blinked slowly, no reaction, "Why would you think that?"

"Because of those electrical shocks. They are a really unhealthy way to loose weight."

"I'm not _trying _to kill you. Like I said, it's all apart of the game," He turned his back on me and walked to his large computer, "Which is starting now." He started typing fast on the keyboard.

"What are you doing?" I said to the back of his mask.

Slade pressed a button, "Making a call."

* * *

><p>"RECOGNIZED: ROBIN B01" The Team had turned around when Robin entered in from the zeta-tubes.<p>

"Dude, what are you doing here?" Wally zoomed over, "Didn't Batman excuse you from any Team stuff?"

"I'm good enough to fight; Batman just doesn't understand," Robin said, walking tall and showing no hint of pain.

"Your ribs?" Artemis asked.

"Still bruised, but I can deal with that. Wrist's all healed, and the burns have been reduced to itchy patches of skin."

"So, you are off your leave?" Kaldur asked.

The Boy Wonder grinned at him, "Not exactly," but his face changed back to a worried look.

"Robin, what's wrong?" M'gann, being the mother hen to them all, noticed the expression.

"Have you seen Lexi anywhere?" He asked, looking around.

"Nope. Not since she left the hospital," Wally said.

"That was three days ago."

Kaldur stood up, "We figured she was with you and nursing her injuries."

Robin shook his head, "Obviously, she's not. I thought she was here."

Anxious glances were shared as they learned that their teammate was missing. Where would she go?

_She wouldn't run away, would she? No, she had all resentment for her sister for leaving. Lexi would _not _do that, _Robin thought.

"She's alright," M'gann tried to place hope within her friends, but she was one of the most worried.

"Lexi can handle herself," Artemis said, staring at nothing.

"But she wouldn't just get up and leave," Wally argued, then lowered his voice, "Not without a goodbye."

"Should we search for her?" Conner asked, and all looked at Kaldur expectantly.

The Atlantian frowned, "We should wait for another day. If Lexi does not come back by then, we will go look for her."

The Team nodded; it was a fair compromise. Now they just stood there, somewhat awkwardly. What should they do now? Lexi was on all of their minds, and doing something to distract them wasn't going to happen.

"Hey, the computer's blinking," Zatanna pointed to the thing in the middle of the mission room.

"There's a call waiting!" Robin ran the holographic computer.

"Maybe it's Lexi!" Wally fell a step behind the bird. Robin barely heard the speedster as he clicked some keys.

The window opened to reveal a person sitting in front of a camera. It wasn't Lexi as they all hoped. No, it was far worse than that.

"Robin," The screen held Slade's face, emotionless,

"Slade," Robin spat back, as the rest of the Team caught up.

"What do you want?" Conner snarled as Wally shouted, "Where's Lexi?"

The man's gray eye shifted to the redhead, "How are you so certain I have her?"

"Because…uh…" Wally faltered, not knowing what to say.

"You don't. But, you are correct. Alexandra is right here," The camera angle moved slightly to the right, and the first thing they saw was a glass box.

Then they saw Lexi, and her appearance horrified them. Her face was gaunt, and her body was thin. She was slumped against a wall, a defeated expression on her face. It was depressing to see, since Lexi usually was perky and ready to face anything head on.

At the sound of her name, Lexi turned to look at the camera. Her face twisted up in pain as she moved, but she managed to brighten as she saw them.

"Oh my god," Zatanna breathed.

"What did you do to her?" Robin shouted, enraged at the sight of his friend.

"You see, Young Justice, Alexandra is trapped in this glass box. Every hour, an extremely painful shock will go off, sapping more of her energy. I invite you to come and rescue her. The first one to reach me wins her back."

"What is she, some sort of prize?" Artemis growled.

Slade let out a low chuckle, "Let the games begin." The transmission ended sharply, leaving the team with the challenge.

"We go after him, right?" Wally said, and the Team once again looked at Kaldur.

The dark skinned teen nodded, "Let us save our friend."

* * *

><p>"Approaching destination," Miss Martian announced, piloting the Bio-ship down to the ground.<p>

"Stealth mode, everybody," Aqualad said, "We do not know what Slade is capable of, therefore we must be cautious."

Robin was itching to just run in there and beat the one-eyed man into a pulp. But, he made himself calm down and listen to Aqualad; his leader knew what he was doing.

They landed with minimum sound on the earth, for even Superboy managed to make his landings softer. Robin had analyzed the video over and over and finally tracked him down to an abandoned warehouse. What was with Slade and warehouses?

Superboy ran over to the metal door, and punched straight through it.

"Way to be subtle, Supey," Kid Flash told him as he ran inside. The Team spread out around the room, searching for any signs of Slade and his prisoner.

"They're not here!" Robin shouted from his place in the rafters.

"Nor here," Aqualad reported.

"Where did they go?" Miss Martian asked.

"It's not humanly possible to pack up everything that fast," Artemis said.

Kid Flash smirked at the blonde archer, "Not unless he's a Flash. Which I seriously doubt."

"How do we find them now?" Robin jumped down to the floor.

"I can use my locater spell," Zatanna offered.

"That won't be necessary," A low purr sounded behind them. All seven of them turned around at the voice.

Slade was standing there, hands poised behind his back, "You already found me."

"Where's Lexi?" Robin hissed at him.

The man held up a hand, "There's no need for all this impatience. Just what do they teach children in school today?"

"Just tell us where she is," Artemis aimed an arrow at his heart.

"Now, now. Alexandra will be with you soon enough. That is, if you can survive the game."

"What game?" Superboy shouted, but Slade had already melted into the darkness.

"We had him!" Kid Flash kicked a crate.

"I don't like the sound of this 'game'," Miss Martian fretted. And, as if called on by her words, the ground started shaking.

Each of the seven Team members were trapped in small, white compartments. They could stare at the ceiling high above them, but they couldn't get out.

"Hey, what happened?" Robin called. He knew his friends were right next to him, yet they didn't seem to hear.

_Soundproof walls, _The bird thought, then tried to bust through them. The attempt ended up with him on the floor, rubbing his shoulder.

_This thing could hold Superman! _He thought with horror. There was no escaping, no breaking out and rescuing Lexi.

All Robin could do was play Slade's game, and hope he was the winner.

* * *

><p>Zatanna Zatara opened her bright blue eyes. She sat up quickly, observing her surroundings. It looked like a stage, one that a magician would perform on.<p>

"Hello?" Her voice echoed in the empty studio, "Where am I?"

"Where are you, where are you?" Tiny, high pitched voices repeated. They were far away at first, but became louder and louder.

"What kind of game is this?" Zatanna shouted angrily.

"Game, game!" The tiny voices mimicked her words.

"What the-" The girl's eyes became wide as she saw what was making the voices. Hundreds of small puppets came towards her, climbing the stage with human-like abilities.

No one was controlling the strings.

"Get down!" Zatanna swatted at one that was near her boot.

"Down, get down!"

She rolled her eyes, "That's becoming annoying. Hey! Get off of me!" The last words came as a shriek as the creepy things started swarming over Zatanna's body,

"No off, just on," They chanted, holding scraps of spare rope.

She knew what was coming next, so she thrashed around, trying to get to her feet.

"Help! Someone, help me!" Zatanna screamed as her hands were bound behind her back. She wiggled her wrists, but the rough rope quickly cut into her skin, blood filling her palms.

"I'll help you," A familiar voice made her stop struggling.

"Robin! You came!" She called to the boy that was crossing the stage to get to her.

"I'll help you," He said, repetitive.

"Good. Get these ropes off of me!" Zatanna was now caught by the ankles as well.

"Ready for the show, Zee?" Robin whispered, bending to her level.

"Show? What show?" She asked, and paled when she saw the object in his hand.

"No, Robin, what are you doing? Robin, stop-" Her speech was cut off when the white cloth covered her mouth, effectively silencing her.

She called her 'friend' every foul name she knew. If her father was here, he would've flipped with the language she was using.

"And now," Robin straightened up. He was talking to the crowd, which confused her. There was no one there.

Wait, if she narrowed her eyes just enough, she could make out the blonde ponytail of Artemis. She screamed in her gag, trying to get their attention.

"I shall present my final act!" Robin was acting like he was running the show. Woops and cheers came from the seven occupied seats.

"My first guest, Zatanna Zatara!" A bright spotlight landed on her, making her squint.

"My second guest, Giovanni Zatara!" Another spotlight fell on the other side of the stage, and her father appeared in the same condition she was in.

"Dad!" She tried to scream.

"For my first trick, I will make Giovanni Zatara disappear!" Robin turned to Zatanna with a devious smile, "Forever."

The magician twisted in the ropes, wincing as they cut deeper and deeper into her skin. She watched, helpless, as Robin walked over the her father, who stared the bird with fear in his eyes.

"The great Zatara," Robin motioned, and the ropes caught on fire, "shall fall!"

Zatanna shut her eyes as her father screamed, a nauseating sound that made tears pour from her closed lids.

She muttered every spell she knew that would help save him, but they were easily lost in the cloth that covered her lips.

Her father was gone just as swiftly as he arrived. Zatanna sobbed; she had already lost him to Doctor Fate, and now she had to watch him die?

"Encore! Encore!" The sickening shouts came from the auditorium.

"Why, but of course," Robin said after he bowed, "I have been saving this for the Grande Finale!"

The Boy Wonder walked over to her, and she glared at him hatefully through her tears.

"Zatanna, Zatanna, Zatanna," He shook his head slowly at her, and she retaliated; Robin causally moved out of rang of her flailing limbs.

"I can see you are not being chalant. But, that doesn't matter. The show will go on no matter what," He yanked at her arm, hauling her upright.

"You see, my asterous audience, that this girl is a witch!" Zatanna's eyes became wider, if that was even possible.

'Witch?' She mouthed into the restraint.

"And you know what we do with witches?"

"WE KILL THEM!" The seven traitors roared. She wasn't surprised that Lexi's voice was the loudest; she knew the elemental had always hated her.

"That's right," The black haired girl saw a long rope dangling from the ceiling. She started screaming, swearing, and crying, each emotion alternating.

"Hang her!" M'gann shouted. It shocked Zatanna into silence, as the Martian was the kindest person you could ever meet.

"And now, to conclude this wonderful act, Zatanna will now join her father!" Robin ripped off her gag, smiling, "Any last words?"

"Go to Hell," She spat, and the cloth was once again in her mouth.

"You can only get it here, folks! The last appearance of the wonderful Zatanna Zatara!" The gloved hand grasped the long cord, and fixed it along her neck. There was some shuffling behind her, and then she could only see darkness.

When the rope was fitted snuggly to her neck, Zatanna was led up three short steps. She gritted her teeth and let salty tears fall from her eyes, dripping down her cheeks and into the blindfold.

"And at the count of three!"

"ONE! TWO! THREE!"

_Snap._

* * *

><p>There was a loud grunt as Conner was slammed into the rock wall. The clone opened his ice blue eyes, and focused on his assailant.<p>

The platinum eyes of Kaldur stared back at him, water bearers in hand. His tattoos glowed as the water shifted into two swords.

"Kaldur, what are you-" The sentence was cut off as electricity made its way to every corner of his body. Conner didn't shout, didn't show any sign of an ache. Because, he really wasn't in pain. If Robin's taser didn't stop him, how could they expect Kaldur's electricity to?

Conner's head was smashed repeatedly into the rock; he speculated fifty punches at the least.

"How could you hurt her like that?" Came the hysteric voice of Wally.

He glared at the ginger, "What are you talking about?"

A sniffle caught his attention, and Conner turned his head upward. There, with puffy, bloodshot eyes, was the crying face of M'gann.

"M'gann? What's wrong?" Remember how the shocks didn't hurt the indestructible boy? Well, he may be immune to physical attacks, but no one prepared him for broken hearts.

"You lied! You let us believe you were good!" He felt his body being picked up and slammed into the ground. Three times.

"I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME!" M'gann screamed, and Conner went flying across the barren terrain.

"I-I do! M'gann!" Too late, the girl had already turned away from him. She hugged Wally, and he shot Conner a particularly smug look as M'gann buried her face into his neck.

There was a twang, and before he knew it, Conner was captured in a green net. Usually, nets were no problem for him, but this net was modified. Not with Kryponite, as he felt fine, but he just couldn't break through it.

"Like the new net?" Artemis smirked, "I updated it just for you."

Conner started sweating and feeling woozy. His vision blurred in and out, but he could make out the form of Robin, and the glowing green crystal in his hand.

"Why do you want to hurt me?" He forced the words out of his swollen throat.

"Because you are the mole. Cadmus programmed you to be a weapon, and that's exactly what you are. Whether you knew it or not, Cadmus had been able to access your knowledge and memories, and now, The League of Shadows know _everything _about us."

"I didn't….I couldn't…" Conner could no longer form words, just painful gasps, as his 'friend' placed the Kryptonite on his chest.

"Superman was right about you," Lexi hissed at him, "you're worthless. Just a bad copy of the original," She leaned over him, "And you actually thought you could replace him? What a joke!" There was a slight pain as her boot hit the side of his torso.

"Glad you finally agree with me," A new voice spoke up. Conner watched, wide eyed, as the red and blue uniform of Superman descended to the earth.

"You're not a superhero. Just a stupid clone of myself. What was Cadmus thinking, trying to make _another _Superman? Didn't they know that all replicas can never compare?" This time, there was pain as his hero-his father-landed a punch on his nose, successfully breaking it.

Conner couldn't move his hand to staunch the blood. How was Superman not affected by the Krypontie that was a foot away from him?

"That," There was a crack as three of his ribs broke, "was for betraying your teammates. This," His shoulder popped out of his socket, dislocated, "was for ever making the League trust you. And this," a very strong kick to the middle of his chest, "was for ever existing!"

He couldn't help it, it hurt so much. Both inside and out, he was broken. He was done, he gave up. Conner Kent gave them what they wanted-his screams of pain. He just hoped that all this would stop, so he could get away from this nightmare.

* * *

><p>Kaldur'ahm sank to his knees, distraught at the sight that laid before him. If Robin were here, he would've told him to 'get traught'. But, Robin wasn't here. None of them were. His teammates where all trapped under the falling debris from the building that exploded. An explosion Kaldur had helped cause.<p>

"Good, Kaldur'ahm. You finally touched your evil roots."

He whirled around, gasping, "You!"

Black Manta let out a cold, calculating laugh, "Me."

"What do you mean, 'evil roots'?" Kaldur gripped his water bearers, the tattoos lighting up the dusky night.

"You don't know? Well, that's disappointing. It will delay our cause, but we can grasp the evil inside you and yank it out."

"I have no evil. I am a protégé to my king, one of the protectors of everything good."

Black Manta took a step closer, which Kaldur countered with a step back, "Or so you believe. Tell me, Kaldur? Is that what they call you? Well, _Kaldur, _tell me your heritage."

Kaldur growled, "I will reveal nothing to you."

If Black Manta could roll his eyes, he would do so, "Do I have to spell out your own life for you? Fine, I will. You were born in Shayeris to Sha'lain'a and Calvin Durham. Such a loyal servant, until he betrayed me by marrying your mother. But, he has not told you the whole truth."

"What more is there to tell?" He asked the villian, still keeping his eyes out for any sign of aggression.

"Kaldur, I am your father."

"…No, no! You are lying!"

"Why lie when the truth is sharper?"

"That is not true! Calvin is my father!" Kaldur took another step back, his eyes wide.

"Adoptive father. You have to face the truth: you are evil."

"No, I am not!" Kaldur lunged at Black Manta, swinging a mace into his face. The man in the suit was knocked to the ground, unmoving. Kaldur hesitated, for it was hard to tell if he was unconscious or not.

He walked over Black Manta, peering at him. All of a sudden, a hand shot up and closed around his throat.

"Petty little boy. So ignorant. So naïve. How can you ever be apart of the Justice League now?" The hand pivoted him to face the wreckage, where he could see no survivors. All of his friends had died under that roof, and it was his fault.

"You can't. Not when you have killed the sidekicks-"

"Partners."

"of the most famous members of the League."

Kaldur clawed at the hand, trying, unsuccessfully, to pry it off of his trachea, "I did not kill them."

"Are you sure? You hit the bombs, and you fled away. You are more like a criminal than you would like to believe."

"They are my friends. I would not kill them," Flashes of broken bodies assaulted his mind, "Intentionally."

He was flung into the ground, "Ah, now I have struck the right cord," Black Manta offered a hand, the same one that choked him minutes before.

"Join me Kaldur. Together, you and I, we can create an army, kill the Justice League, and rule the world."

Kaldur glared at the hand, "I would never betray my king. My friends."

The hand was replaced by a boot, which pressed the Atlantian to the dirt, "You still do not see? Kaldur, you have already betrayed them. You betrayed them by killing your friends. You have failed them Kaldur," His tone became softer, like a father talking to his son, "but you could never fail me."

Kaldur looked up into the red eyes, feeling guilty. Black Manta, in a twisted way, was making sense. He had failed already. He had always doubted his leadership, and it finally caught up with him.

There was no one left to hurt. He had already killed his friends, a fact he would always regret, and his king never trusted him. He had always thought that he was fighting the good fight, but he wasn't. He had always thought that Black Manta was a heartless villain, but he wasn't. The black suited man was right: this life was not for him.

"I will join you," Kaldur said, accepting the hand and getting to his feet.

"That's my boy."

* * *

><p>"What the heck is that?"<p>

"It's hideous!"

_Katchhhaaa, s'nomoth! _M'gann thought as her head pulsed with unexpected pain.

_What happened?_ The Martian opened her eyes, relived to find she was in the Cave. She was on the floor, but otherwise ok.

She opened her mouth, but found she could not speak. What a peculiar feeling, to open your mouth and have no words come out.

M'gann saw her friends next to her, and calm washed over her.

_Guys, what happened? Why am I on the floor? _She watched as their faces express their shock; Artemis even pointed an arrow at her.

_What's going on?_

"That thing has M'gann!" Conner shouted, stalking towards her.

_What, Conner, what are you talking about? _She questioned.

"Conner, back up! This creature might be dangerous!" Kaldur commanded.

"How does it have M'gann's voice?" Zatanna asked.

"Babe, can you hear me?" Wally shouted.

_I can hear you just fine, Wally._

"Then where are you?" Lexi asked, craning her neck to look around.

_What are you talking about, Lexi? I'm right in front of you!_

Her friends all backed away from her, horror and disgust etching their features.

"M'gann, what happened to you?" Robin asked in disbelief.

She didn't answer him, because she was staring at her hand. It wasn't the green, graceful hand of Miss Martian, it was the long, white, two-clawed _thing_ of M'gann M'orzz.

_Wait, guys-_

"You mean to tell us you looked like this all along?" Conner shouted, making her flinch.

M'gann stood up at Wally's "What happened to bald M'gann?"

Even in her mind, she couldn't stop her voice from shaking, _She never existed. Neither does M'gann with hair. This….this is who I really am._

"You lied?" Lexi burst out, staring at her in dismay.

_Please, I didn't-_

"What is going on?" The gentle voice of her uncle soothed her. He was walking in with Batman and Red Tornado.

"Did you know about this?" Artemis gestured to M'gann. J'onn said nothing, just stared at her with such a disappointed expression.

_I don't know how this happened! _She conveyed her thoughts to him, but felt no compassion from her relative.

"M'gann, you lied about who you truly were. You let us believe that image was really you," Batman said, narrowing his eyes.

_You're kicking me off the team? _She dared to ask, her mind's voice barely a whisper.

"Oh no, you are not worthy of that," Kaldur told her, his voice unnaturally cruel.

"You're a monster," Wally snarled hatefully.

Zatanna added, "And you betrayed us."

_I-I didn't! I swear! Please believe me! I'm not a monster! I'm still M'gann!_ Tears were flowing from her red eyes.

"No you're not," Conner said simply, his arms crossed.

Batman, J'onn, and Red Tornado looked at each other, then nodded, "Lexi, you know what to do."

The brunette nodded back, then raised her hands. Fire burst out of her palms, blanketing the room with her flames.

"You deserve every ounce of pain," Artemis growled, before exiting the heated room with the rest of her team, and the three Leaguers.

The only two who remained were Lexi and Conner. The former was fanning the flames, making them leap and dance towards her, while the latter sat passively, staring at M'gann with such an venomous expression.

The White Martian felt the heat, and fell to the floor, her sweat pouring into her eyes, mixing in with her tears.

"That's about it. The closed off room will take care of the rest," Lexi told Conner, and he gave her a nod. The girl smirked at M'gann before following the others out of the door.

_Conner, Conner, I still love you! Does that count for anything?_ She pleaded, looking up at him.

"Love you? How can I love you when I can't even look at you?" The knife was already poised at her heart, but Conner, the love of her life, had driven it straight in.

"I can't. Goodbye, you _monster,_" He spun of his heel and left, shutting the door behind him.

The flames seemed to devour anything and everything in the room, and they were quickly making their way towards her.

_Conner, wait! Please, don't go! Conner, please, I'm still M'gann! I'm still your friend, your girlfriend!_

When it was clear that they weren't going to save her, M'gann curled up into a ball, covering her ugly white face with her ugly white claws.

She waited for death to come whisk her away from this, all the while sobbing for her friends and her losses.

_I'm still M'gann. Please, I'm still M'gann._

* * *

><p>Artemis didn't want to wake up. It was so comfortable, lying there in her bed. She didn't want to get up and face the preps at Gotham, or obtain another collection of bruises from Black Canary's training.<p>

"Artemis! Get up!" The blonde archer rolled onto her side, pulling the pink covers over her head.

"You're not sleeping any longer," The blanket was whisked off, leaving her cold. Artemis opened one lazy eye, ready to show whoever woke her up just how much a morning person she was.

She gasped, pulling the bow from under her pillow. She aimed the green feathered arrow at the person who stood before her.

Sportsmaster laughed, "Good morning to you too, dear," He brushed away the arrow with a strong stroke.

"What are you doing here? How did Mom let you in?"

He leaned closer to her; the ski mask was abandoned somewhere, "You know your mother can't say no to me."

Artemis snarled, "But I can. Get. Out."

"Daughter dearest, is that any way to treat your father?" Sportsmaster called after her as she ran through the tiny apartment.

"Mom? Mom!" She called into every room, trying to find her mother.

"Mom's on a…vacation," Standing in the doorway to the kitchen was Jade. Her mask was off, and a smirk replaced the grinning cat.

"What did you do with her?"

A hand on her shoulder, "Nothing. Trust me."

Artemis spun around to face her father, "Trust you? You've got to be kidding me!"

"Where ya running off to, _Arty?_" Jade snickered, "To get your little friends? Oh well, we already thought of that!"

She wouldn't listen to them, she wouldn't! They were lying. Yes, that was they were doing.

Blonde hair flew as Artemis gripped the handle to the door. She threw it open, and the sight that laid before her caused her heart to beat so much faster than it already was.

Seven bodies laid before her, bloodied and unmoving. They were all her teammates, her friends.

"No…." Artemis dropped to her knees at the nearest person. It was Wally, almost unrecognizable in all the blood. His red hair was disheveled, and his uniform was ripped and in tatters, but it was still Wally.

"What did you do to him. To all of them?" She glared hatefully up at her two family members.

"Just taking care of your baggage," Jade spun a bloodied sai in her hand, "I don't understand why you care so much about them."

"You thought I wouldn't care if you killed my friends?" Gray eyes widened in shock. She didn't know why, but Artemis expected better of her family.

"No, because they don't call you a _friend,_ remember?" Sportsmaster taunted. Artemis knew full well what he was talking about; for this happened no more than three days ago.

She had gotten to the Cave late that day, because her mom had threatened to cancel her 'extra circulars'. When the zeta-tube cooled behind her, she saw the Team looking down at her very, well, evilly.

"What's going on?" She had asked, tightening her grip on her bow.

"Why did you tell us?" Robin hissed.

"Tell you what?"

"That you come from a family of criminals! Sportsmaster," Zatanna started.

"Cheshire," Conner added.

"And Huntress," Kaldur finished.

"I-"

"Save it, Artemis," Wally stalked towards her, pointing at the arrow on her chest, "You were the mole. The traitor. You don't deserve to wear that symbol."

"Wally…" She whimpered.

"Kid Flash is right," Batman had suddenly appeared behind his protégé.

"Roy was right," Green Arrow corrected, putting a hand on the other archer's shoulder.

"You are suspended from the Team. Forever." Batman discharged her.

"Good riddance," Wally growled, his playful green eyes shadowed with hate.

"You should probably get out of here," Roy smugly said.

"Of course, they needed a real archer," Artemis snarled, and without another word, stalked back into zeta-tube.

When she returned home, Artemis flopped onto her bed and cried her eyes out. This was the one thing that kept her sane; kept her from falling into the abyss that was the Shadows.

The Team had been her life raft, and now that they were gone, where did that leave Artemis?

"I hate you!" She sprang up from her place, running at her father with a punch. Sportsmaster just laughed, swatting away her fist like it was a fly.

"Sure you do, _Arty,_" He mocked her with the name Wally used to call her. She couldn't help but glance at the dead body of the speedster.

"Why did you kill them?" She jumped again, blinded by rage and grief.

Sportsmaster grinned, and Artemis felt her breath leave her as his fist connected with her stomach.

She doubled over, wheezing, trying to get oxygen into her lungs.

"You don't hate me, little girl," Artemis was powerless as her father pressed her up against the wall, "You're just scared of me. Scared of your family. Scared of yourself."

She felt dizzy as her hand was smashed into the concrete, she probably got a concussion.

"Jade," she managed to get out, but her sister simply put on her mask, hiding her true feelings under the creepy smile.

"You're so desperate to see your little friends?" A sharp blade pricked her neck, drawing blood, "Why don't you join them?"

It took all her courage, but Artemis swung her foot and kicked her father where it countered. She was immediately dropped as he grunted in pain.

Doing a complete 180, she ran away from her murderous blood. She knew Jade wouldn't try and pursue her; not without orders, anyway. Sportsmaster would be the only one who would come after her. He never liked loose ends.

But still, she ran. For the time being, Artemis was free. But, with her liberation, she had lost something important to her. Her mind finally processed it, and hot tears trailed from her eyes. Her mom was gone, and so were her friends.

Artemis Crock was alone.

* * *

><p>Wally looked up at his mentor, his idol, his uncle. He felt as if his whole world had fallen apart.<p>

"W-What?" He sputtered, green eyes wide.

"I said, you are not fast enough. You'll never be a partner of mine," Barry Allen glared down at his annoying nephew.

It was a crushing blow to the boy. He was Kid Flash. Running, and crime-fighting, were in his blood. This is what he does. This is how he deals with the normal people he was forced to encounter.

So, Wally West did what he does best: He ran. He ended up running all the way to a hill in the middle of the country, kicking any stray rock that came in contact with his foot.

"I can't believe I'm not Kid Flash anymore," He muttered, sitting down on the green grass.

Green. It reminded him of Artemis. Oh man, what would the archer do when she found out about this? What would any of them do?

Now that he wasn't a partner anymore, what would he do? He couldn't just throw himself into being a regular person, because Wally was never normal.

"Hey, KF, I heard and-"

"Save it, Robin," He told the boy in his earpiece tiredly.

"I wanted to tell you we're going on a mission in the Premier Building," Robin said, a little hurt.

"Why?" Wally jumped up from his spot, "Just so you could torture me? Some friend you are!"

"Wally, what the heck-" Robin's voice was lost as the ginger grabbed the communicator in his ear, and chucked it away from him.

He glared at the city below him. How dare they go on a mission when they knew that he wasn't a superhero anymore? He knew Artemis would taunt him, but his own best friend?

A flash caught his eye. The tallest building in the city was named the Premier Building. Wasn't that where his friends were going?

Before he could fully process the thought, Wally was running into the city. He had gotten half way there when another thought struck him.

"They don't need me," He growled, turning his back on the looming building.

"Uh, is this thing on?" Televisions in the whole city switched to the same channel. The face of Captain Cold made Wally clench his hands into fists.

"I have with me the seven protégés of the Justice League," The screen flashed to where his friends were struggling, all chained against a wall, "And I might do something very horrible to them."

Wally paled as he saw the guns in his hands, "Unless, a certain someone is _fast_ enough to save them."

The transmission ended quickly, turning the screens all back to their regular scheduling programming.

_I have to save them! _Wally took off like a rocket towards the tallest building in the whole city.

He pried open the door, and ran up all the stairs and through the offices. Many shouts of anger followed his wake, but he didn't have time to apologize. He only had one thought on his mind: He had to rescue his friends.

In what seemed like forever, Wally had finally reached the top of the Premier Building.

"I'm here!" He called, but no one answered him. Captain Cold was gone, and he left no trace of him.

Wally took a few careful steps, and he saw a glint.

"Rob, you there?" He asked softly, but, again, there was no answer. He ran over to where he saw the glint, and was met with a huge shock:

Ice pieces littered the floor, like someone had broken a large ice sculptures. Or seven, teen sized sculptures.

"No! No! No!" Wally screamed, falling to his knees. He couldn't face the hard facts: he wasn't fast enough. Kid Flash, fastest boy on Earth, wasn't fast enough to safe the only people who really mattered to him.

He reached out a hand and grasped a stray ice piece. He couldn't tell who it was, maybe Robin, or Artemis, or even Lexi, but that didn't matter. Wally curled his body around it, sobbing. He could never be a Flash, not when everyone around him died.

* * *

><p>"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! THE FLYING GRAYSONS!" Robin opened his eyes as he soared through the air. He jumped off his pedestal and grasped his father's waiting hands. The crowd cheered below as they both completed complicated tricks on the swinging ropes.<p>

Robin was loving it. The tricks, the cheers, the spotlight right on him. He'd missed the circus life, missed all the attention that was thrown upon him.

"And now, John and Mary Grayson shall perform their signature trick, without a net!" Jack Haly boomed into his microphone, and the crowd oohed and ahhed.

His mom put Robin back onto the platform, a smile gracing her features, "You stay here, ok?"

"Ok, Mom," Robin smiled up at his mother.

Mary kissed her son's forehead, "That's my little robin," She turned away from him, and gripped the trapeze.

As she swung over to his father, there was an all too familiar snap.

"NO! MOM! DAD!" Robin leaned forward with tears in his eyes, watching fearfully as his parents plunged to their deaths.

Mary's mouth opened as she screamed her son's name, then there was a repulsive thud as both of them landed.

"NO!" Tears flew from his dark blue eyes as he watched the crowd scream in terror. He had just gotten them back….just heard their voices again.

Robin was vaulted into a hug, and he was slightly comforted by the presence of Bruce Wayne.

"It's ok, Robin," The large man whispered into his ear. Then, an evil cackle was heard, and Robin pulled back from his guardian.

"You're just a kid," Bruce spat at him, "You can't be Robin. I don't need a little child to watch out for on the streets," Robin stared, wide-eyed. Bruce wouldn't say that, would he?

The sneer was quickly placed with a look of pure terror, as a blade sprouted from Bruce's chest.

Blood splattered Robin's face as Bruce lurched forward, dead.

"Bruce?" Robin crawled to the man and shook him, "Bruce! No, Bruce! Batman! DAD!" The Boy Wonder sat back, dazed. He'd lost his family in under a minute. Nothing could heal his traumatizing pain.

"Robin," A white gloved hand appeared in his vision, and Robin held out his own, gripping it with all his might.

The azure eyes of Lexi greeted him, empathetic, "It's ok, Robin. I'm here," She said softly.

"T-Thank you," He gasped as tears fell down his cheeks. He was aware that Lexi could see his eyes, but he didn't care.

A superior smile came onto Lexi's lips, and she yanked her hand out of Robin's.

"Are you stupid? I would never need you! No one would need a stupid gymnast!" She said, backing away from him, "You always were easy to fool."

Robin's breath caught in his throat as rocks surrounded him, choking him.

"Lexi, don't! Please!" He screamed.

"The Robin sings," She taunted, and all was black.

* * *

><p>Robin opened his eyes, breathless. His hand shot up to his face, and felt the domino mask that concealed his identity.<p>

He was still in that horrid box, not in the circus, not being crushed by the Earth. Dazed and numb, Robin leaned against the wall, letting his tears continue to poor from his eyes.

Slade must've rigged these things to make the victim live their worse fears. What kind of sick man does that? Did he know that could permanently damage someone?

If his team's fears were as bad as his own, then he was right to worry about them.

"Congratulations, Robin. You survived the game," Slade's haunting voice came out of no where, and the wall in front of his opened up.

Not hesitating, the bird ran through, glad to be rid of his hellhole.

"KF!" He shouted when he saw his ginger friend, disoriented, but free like him.

"…Robin?" He sounded uncertain, like he wasn't sure who Robin was.

"Yeah, dude. How did you get out?"

Kid Flash frowned, "High Metabolism. You?"

"No idea. But it was all just a illusion! A sick joke!"

"A game, per se," Slade told them, but the masked man was no where in sight.

"Come claim your prize." A little ways away, the ground shifted, revealing stairs.

"Do we go down?" Kid Flash questioned.

"Yeah. Let's save Lexi!" The speedster nodded to the Boy Wonder, and they took off, side by side, down the stairs.

* * *

><p><strong>Lexi's POV<strong>

* * *

><p>"Stop it, please, stop it!" I sobbed, beating weakly against the glass.<p>

"I can't," Slade replied simply, not even looking at me. He was staring at his computer, where my friends were living their worst nightmares.

I clutched my ears as another round of screams came. They sounded so terrible, so scared, so…unlike themselves.

"You told me you wouldn't hurt them!"

Slade finally turned around, "Dear, you should know: I lie!"

"You're such a monster," I glared at him through tears.

He taunted, "Well isn't the kettle calling the pot black?"

"I'm not a monster," I said, more for myself than for him.

He didn't answer but exclaimed, "Oh look, it seems your little lovebird and speedster have awaken. Let them claim their prize!"

My eyes widened as I caught on. Wally and Robin survived! They actually managed to beat their fears and wake up. But the others…

"What about them?" Slade asked as if he could read my mind.

"What are you going to do to them?"

"They're just going to have to play through." Light filtered through a hole in the ceiling, and steps led to where I was.

"Come on, Rob! Faster!" Came the voice of Kid Flash.

"KF! Robin!" I screamed, and their forms were silhouetted by the light.

"Lexi!" They both replied, running faster down the stairs.

Their faces were such a relief, to see them alive. But, they weren't exactly themselves. Both heroes had fallen faces, and Kid Flash's eyes were puffy and red.

I expected they would have to break down the glass walls, but when they came close enough, the walls just crumbled.

I tried to stand up, but my body gave a shriek of protest. I was too weak even to hug my friends.

Strong arms hoisted me up, and I looked into the mask of Robin. He couldn't show his eyes, but there were wet trails all the way down his cheeks.

"Where is he? Where is Slade?" Kid Flash asked from beside me. He looked rabid, like he was ready to tear Slade limb by limb.

"He doesn't matter. We have to save the others!" I told them, and the two shared a look. A message seemed to pass through them, and they nodded.

"You're right," Robin said, and we all turned away from the shattered remains of my prison.

"Wait!" I commanded, and they both stopped. Moving my hands, an avalanche occurred, burying any remains of this hideout.

"What did you do that for?"

"So no else may use it," I replied to the green eyed boy's question. No one complained, and we all hiked up to the warehouse where the five others were still trapped.

But, as we fled, I heard a chilling whisper from the damage behind me, "This is only the beginning."


	24. Chapter 24: Circus Monkeys

**Hey guys! Sorry for not posting for the whole week. But, I'm back, with something I'd like to call the 'Birthday Chapter'. That's right, Sunday's my birthday, and since I'll be busy the whole weekend, I wanted to get one posted. Only two more episodes before the first season is over, and I've decided to a sequel, but this one will have just the episodes. I'm planning on doing a one-shot or something of the aftermath(No spoilers, sorry!), but it's still in the beta pages.**

**pyro-pisces12: Hahaha don't worry! You have 7 chapters to read, and I'm posting as much as I can!**

**sheldon 2.0: Thank you! And I forgot about Scarecrow, but that's probably the reason. Yes, I'm a big fan of Teen Titans, and Red X is cool and all that, but I really don't want to make Robin turn out like that, since YJRobin and TTRobin are very different. Lexi will find out Robin's ID sometime, not sure when yet. And maybe, just MAYBE Terra will make an appearance in that one-shot I was talking about.**

**Synk: Thank you very much! I planned it all out on paper before writing it down.**

**100: Thank you! I love your profile picture, by the way! XD **

**Ok, sorry for my rambling! Here's Circus Monkeys!**

* * *

><p>Batman was heartless. No, not just heartless; he was soulless as well. What kind of person sends traumatized teenagers on a mission right after they were just subjected to their worse fears? This wasn't like the exercise; this was far worse than that. Well, Roy was fine, since Slade so kindly left him out of the fun. But, Batman said we were to investigate the tech break-ins on Haly's Circus, and they all took it like troopers. They were so strong, being able to face whatever was thrown at them.<p>

"Advanced weapons tech has been stolen from manufacturing plants from all over Europe. And each theft coincides with tour stops made by the Haly's Circus. Batman's sending us undercover to catch the thieves," Robin told us.

"This clown car have room for one more?" Roy offered a smile.

"Uh. We've got this covered," The Boy Wonder was obviously uncomfortable.

Roy's face instantly switched to his usual frown, and whispered something into Robin's ear.

"Rob, what are we going undercover as?" I asked, not even casting a glance at the solo vigilante.

"A new act, the Daring Dangers. M'gann and I will be on the trapeze as Dan and Dawn Danger, Conner will be using his super strength as Dean Danger, while Roy and Artemis will be showing off their archery skills as Dane and Diane Danger. And you, Lexi, will be Dani Danger, element extraordinaire."

I crossed my arms at Robin, "I don't think I should use my powers in front of a giant crowd."

"They'll think its just some new circus tech. Don't worry." I stared at him, completely unconvinced.

That's how I ended up on backstage at Haly's Circus. My long brown hair was tied into a ponytail at the base of my neck, and I was wearing a white and red unitard with a frilly skirt. Good thing I wasn't the only one who had to wear the silly outfit, and we got to wear masks. I shivered with nerves as I glanced at all the people.

"Dangers! You're up!" The roustabout, Ray, ruffled Robin's hair. The others proceeded to get into their respective places, but I couldn't move.

Robin paused when he saw I wasn't following, "Dani?"

"I can't do this," I whispered, my hands curling into fists.

"Sure you can," He reassured.

I shook my head, "I'm not completely in control of my firebending. I'm afraid I'm gonna hurt somebody."

"You won't, I promise. Just focus and forget you are performing." I nodded, took a deep breath, then walked out onto the stage.

"Damen und Herren! Mesdames et Messieurs! Ladies and Gentlemen!" Jack Haly appeared on the ringmaster's podium, smiling at the crowd.

"Welcome to the Haly International Traveling Circus! The world of the center ring is your oyster, and these are our latest pearls…" The spotlight fell onto Robin, "The Daring Dangers!"

I looked up as Robin flew through the air on the air. He was such a natural on the swinging ropes, like he grew up on them. His face had a look of pure happiness, but his eyes held an emotion I couldn't determine, "Dan Danger!"

Taking his cue, M'gann mirrored Robin's moves, flipping through the air and gripping the trapeze again, "Dawn Danger!"

"Dani Danger!" That was my cue. Twirling around, my flames went into a Phoenix-like pattern. I made the fire dance around like it was flying, then let it simmer out.

"Diane Danger!" Artemis smiled as she drew back her bow.

Roy tightened his grip on the three white arrows, "Dane Danger!"

Conner was lifting weighted barrels like they were puppies, "And, Dean Danger!"

'Dean' threw two barrels into the sky, while the two archers released their sparkle arrows. Robin and M'gann passed through the barrels, then straightened out as they floated through the air for a few moments. Releasing a blaze that illuminated them, I popped it like fireworks.

"You'll never see another trapeze act like this, folks! And all performed without a net!" The two acrobats both gotten back to their trapezes, and swung towards each other. M'gann was on her knees, upside down, hands ready to catch Robin as he passed by.

He did a flip, his momentum carrying him forward. It was not enough, though. His fingers just brushed her as gravity took a hold of him, and his body was falling to the ground.

_Robin! _I screamed in terror as the crowd gasped with horror.

_Don't blow our cover! _He commanded as he got closer to Conner.

The clone threw a barrel up, _Is saving your life ok?_

Robin rode the barrel up to M'gann, and she stretched down as far as she could.

Even Conner's strength wasn't enough, because once again Robin was falling. To everyone's surprise, his hand shot up, fingers locked around M'gann's wrist.

_What did I just say? _Robin asked, exasperated.

_The crowd couldn't see me use telekinesis from here. Besides, I kinda have been using it all night._ _I'm not exactly the acrobat you are._

_Yeah. Neither am I right now,_ Robin admitted, _I think I caught that twenty-four hour bug that's been going around the circus. But, the show must go on._

* * *

><p>"Put your hands together for the Daring Dangers!" Jack Haly held out a hand to us, and we all smiled and waved as the crowd roared their approval.<p>

_Are you alright? You had a really weird look on your face during the act, _I asked Robin.

_I'm fine. _

_Didn't think you would make it through, _M'gann told him.

_Neither did I. Help me backstage, _Robin said and the Martian put her arm around Robin and led him behind the curtain, where we rested up right after our daring act.

"Hey," Roy nudged Robin's arm, and nodded to where Jack Haly was talking to the acrobatic brothers.

"..Was your slot, until you missed that show in Paris," Jack was saying.

"Carlo was sick! He's better now!" One of them argued.

"Plus, those Dangers are a sham! They say their brothers and sisters, they don't even look alike!" The other one added.

"Eh, you just don't like the competition," The ringleader snarled, brushing his way past the two brothers. He walked right into a detective.

"Oh, for crying out loud, not you again! We're in the middle of a show!"

"Then we'll talk after. But we will talk. Another city last week, another tech firm robbed, and another stop on _your _tour. If I prove your responsible, I will shut you down," The detective pointed a finger at Jack's chest.

Jack snarled, "I've got three minutes to gather props and get back to center ring," And he walked away.

The detective marched over to us, showing his badge, "Faraday. Interpol. New Act?

"Yep. Just joined the tour," Robin said quickly.

"That probably clears you, but don't get too comfortable. Haly's going down for this," Faraday obviously had enough of us, because he left just as quickly as he came.

* * *

><p><em>If Interpol's already on this, then why are we bothering? <em>Superboy asked. We had changed into our uniforms and now were looking down at a building.

_Because Batman said so. Why, you had something better to do? _Robin replied, just a tad harsh.

_How do we know the thieves will hit here? _Artemis asked.

_We don't. _I told her.

Red Arrow added, _There are more obvious targets._

_And Faraday will have them covered. But I analyzed the tech already stolen and the pattern suggest this is the place. _Robin wiped his forehead from beside Miss Martian and I.

_How are you feeling? _Miss M asked worriedly.

_Lousy, actually, _He turned to give us a smile, _But I'll manage. _

_Contact, northeast quadrant! _Superboy warned.

We watched as the person, dressed in all black, did a couple flips and landed on the other side of the fence.

_Look's like we know why Carlo missed their performance._

_Could be Carlo, could be his brother. Keep an open mind, and move in. _We all jumped from our positions, following the black figure.

_Did you see where he went? _Robin asked Superboy.

The clone narrowed his eyes at the building, _The warehouse._ We carefully made our way inside, and saw the thief take the tech.

Robin laughed, "Caught red handed! And red faced, too!"

"Acrobatics won't get you out of this one," Artemis pointed a green arrow at the man.

The thief took out a torch, and blew a blaze in our direction. Running ahead, I redirected the flames to the side.

"Those crates are filled with live ammo! Move!" Red Arrow commanded, just as the place blew.

Superboy moved the fallen damage off of us as the fire kept glowing.

I brought a hand to my head, "Déjà vu," I muttered.

"What were you thinking?" Red Arrow shouted, rounding on me.

"That you wouldn't burn to crisp?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, you-"

"Stop it!" Robin said forcefully.

"That guy is dead meat!" Superboy started to give chase.

"Superboy, no! You need to get her out!" The Boy Wonder was supporting Miss Martian.

"He's getting away!"

"And that matters more than Miss M? The fire's killing her!"

Superboy's face quickly turned guilty, "Right, right." He took his girlfriend in his arms and ran away.

"Artemis, Arrow, E, find the thief!" Robin took a step, but collapsed onto the floor.

"Because he matters more than you?" Artemis asked as we propped up our friend.

"You're still off your game, pal. We're getting you out," Red Arrow said.

"And you still haven't recovered from the _other _fire," I whispered, and we got him out safely.

* * *

><p>"Another weapons plant is hit, and once again the circus is in town. I don't believe in coincidences," Faraday said.<p>

Jack retorted, "I don't care what you believe! My people are not responsible! I did a bed check last night: every single member of our troop was asleep in their bunks."

_Well, we sure won't,_ M'gann said worriedly.

_And if he's lying about us… _Artemis trailed off, and we were sent back to our compartment on the train.

_So, two thieves right? The fire breather and one of the acrobats_, The blonde archer asked.

_Dressed in identical clothing, _M'gann added.

_Maybe not just two. Here's the Madrid security footage. And now Paris._

_The strongman and the clown! _I exclaimed at the videos on Robin's wrist.

_If the entire circus is involved, Haly himself may be the mastermind. _Roy mused.

Robin glared at the ginger, _You don't know that!_

M'gann frowned, _It would explained his lies.._

"I told you to keep an open mind!" The bird stood up and stormed out.

_Hello, Megan! I'll read Haly's mind!_

_I'm not sure we can trust you to do that without tipping him off._ It was our turn to glare at the archer.

Conner stalked up to Roy, _Or maybe you don't trust her period. I heard you talking to Robin back at the Cave. I know you're only here to spy on the four of us._

Roy narrowed his eyes, _There's a mole on this team, and good reasons to suspect all four of you. Both Artemis and Miss Martian had already been caught in lies. You could be programmed by Cadmus without even knowing it, and who knows where Lexi's been and what's she's done?_

My fingers curled around the edge of the seat.

_Or maybe __I can take your head off without even trying!_

M'gann laid a hand on Conner's shoulder, _Ok, let's all take a timeout before we do something we regret._

_Speak for yourself, _Conner hissed. I stood up from my seat and followed him out, deciding to look for Robin.

* * *

><p>I found him outside, in the cold. He was staring deeply at one of the posters on the side of the train. As I neared, I heard him talking to someone.<p>

"Hey!" I called, and he started, then turned.

"Oh hey, Lexi. Wally, I gotta go," He reached into his ear and clicked off his com link.

"What's up?" I leaned against the train.

"Just taking a walk."

"This has to be more than a walk, Robin."

Robin didn't answer, just turned away from me.

I reached out and grasped his hand with my own, "Robin, talk to me."

He still didn't say anything, just looked at the poster again. I followed his gaze and saw "THE FLYING GRAYSONS" printed in large letters.

"The Flying Graysons," I read, and a connection was made in my head, "Hey! I know that name!"

Robin finally looked at me, and I noticed he had blue eyes, "You do?"

"Yeah. There's a kid at my school named Dick Grayson. Maybe he has connections with these people. But that's weird, I haven't heard anything about this act the whole time we were here."

The pressure on my hand increased, and I looked at Robin. His pretty blue eyes were glittering.

"Lexi, I have to tell you something really important."

"What is it?"

"It's about Dick Grayson. Lexi, I-"

"Hey!" A voice sounded from up above us. Startled, both of us looked up and saw Roy perched on top of the train.

"Show's ending!" I looked at Robin, but his face had already melted back into a hard mask. Whatever he was going to tell me was lost in the circus music.

* * *

><p>When Jack Haly closed the show, every act had to pack up the train for the next stop. I was working alongside Artemis, and watched M'gann converse with Ray.<p>

"All aboard, everyone! NOW!" Jack climbed into the train, and everyone followed suit. As the train lurched forward, and us 'Dangers' were cramped in our tiny room.

"You look better," Artemis commented.

"I feel better," Robin looked down at our Martian friend, "Sorry M-Dawn. Hope you didn't get it from me."

M'gann was lying in bed, sick, "I feel so silly. Who knew a Martian could be vulnerable to a human virus?"

"Uh, H. G . Wells?" Robin suggested, and I laughed, "Look, when did you first feel sick?"

"Just after boarding the train. It came on so suddenly."

"Same with me the other night. I remember Ray rubbed my head for good luck right before we went on."

Conner looked up, "Ray? That roustabout? He touched her right before we boarded. Guy must be a walking Petri dish."

"If it is the flu, then we could've caught it already," I mused aloud.

"Yeah, yeah. Maybe," Robin said distractedly, then ran out of the room. We followed him out, and promised to check on Ray because he seemed to have this 'flu'.

"You should stay here," Robin told M'gann.

"As a friend of mine once said, I'll manage." And that was that.

Artemis opened the door to the storage car, where Ray also resided.

"Does this circus have an elephant I don't know about?" Roy gestured to the box that was labeled 'Elephant Food'.

"Not on foreign tours," Robin told him.

The ginger archer opened the box, "Empty-no, wait!" He reached his hand into the box, "Ash."

"From the warehouse fire in Bruges!" I cringed when Roy shot me a look.

"Uh, guys? I found Ray," Artemis held up a creepy Ray-like mask.

"Split up! Search the whole train!" Robin ordered, and we all went into separate areas on the train. I was searching one of the sleeping quarters when my com link filtered Robin's voice.

"Dane, Dean, Diane, Dani, come in! We're chasing someone who stole Dawn's 'act'. Her whole shtick if you catch my drift!"

"I got him, but he's onto me. Exiting the dining car now," Conner reported, "He's gone top side!"

Looking around, I found an emergency exit. I ripped it open, and flipped myself onto the roof. Robin and Conner were already there, with the clown.

"That's no clown! He's the Parasite. Guy who once stole Superman's powers!"

"As if you kids are who you claim to be. Please!" The clown's face morphed into a dark, purple thing.

"Stay out of his reach, there's no flu going around! The weakness comes when he makes physical contact and feeds off the powers and abilities of others!" Robin informed.

"I have been a bit of a glutton today. Chowed down on the skills of nearly every loser in this troop. But the piéce de résistance that was Dawn Danger, or whatever her real name is. Thought I'd munch on her trapeze skills. Imagine my surprise when she tasted like Martian Manhunter instead. Mmm," M'gann had climbed up onto the top, as wells as Artemis and Roy.

"But guess who I want for my entrée!" Parasite brought Conner to him with his powers, "Mmm. Now that's the full body Kryptonian that I love!"

"Everyone, stay whelmed! Subdue, but keep your distance!" Both archers aimed their bows, but Parasite burned them up with his newly acquired heat vision.

"You know, I almost never say this, but I'm sated. Hate to eat and run," He jumped into the air, but Robin had also, landing on the crate he brought with him.

I ran forward, sending two water streams to wrap around the villain, but he flew out of my range.

Robin sprang again, and Parasite battered him off, "Sorry. No hitchhikers."

The Boy Wonder skated across the train, then fell off. With speed that could make Wally jealous, I reached down and grasped his wrist, struggling to bring him back up. Roy, Artemis, and M'gann all helped in bringing the bird onto the train.

"Conner!" M'gann ran to her boyfriend, helping him to his feet, "You alright?"

"Fine, fine!"

"You're drained!"

"How did he get those powers?" I asked.

"I had the genetic potential for it. Must've been enough for him." Robin growled, and then we climbed down back to our room.

* * *

><p>"It's not a complete debacle. I picked Parasite's pocket, got this flash drive," Robin plugged the tiny thing into his glove, hacking into it, "Looks like Parasite's working for Intergang. Everything he stole, they're all pieces of something. They're putting together a weapon that….generates black holes?"<p>

"Oh come on!" Roy scoffed, "To build that, you need a particle accelerator!"

"Like the large Bozone Collider in Geneva?" Robin questioned.

"The circus' next stop. And now that Parasite can fly, he's got a big head start on us."

"…Sorry," M'gann looked at the floor.

"Not your fault. But this thing could wipe out entire cities! We need to hurry!"

I stood up as well, "I'm going with."

"You and I need to hurry. Without powers the others would hold us back." I narrowed my eyes and cleared my throat at Red Arrow.

Artemis held up her crossbow, "Hey, you're not the only one with a back up bow."

Conner punched the wall, creating a hole, "And my powers are back."

"How-"

"I'm still-"

"I guess Kryptonians recover faster than humans or Martians," Conner cut off both Robin and M'gann.

The latter placed her hands on her hips, "Don't even think about leaving me behind."

* * *

><p>Escaping the train, we all made our way to Geneva, where Parasite had left guards on the floor.<p>

"Trail of destruction. This way," Robin led us through the already opened doors.

Parasite was already inside, activating the black hole maker.

"We need to take him down. Or at least lure him away so we can safely disengage the-" Robin's instructions were delayed as Superboy charged head first inside. We watched as the clone fight Parasite.

Red Arrow hissed, "What's wrong with-"

"Wait!" Miss Martian interrupted, and Superboy was drained of his powers again. Parasite flung him against the wall, and he slumped to the floor.

"Alright Dangers, come on out. Only a couple minutes before this baby's done warming up and eats Geneva!"

Miss Martian stepped out of our hiding place, creating a distraction so we could slink away to our positions.

"What do you have against Geneva anyway?" She taunted.

"Never like the food. But the menu keeps improving," Parasite brought the Martian forward, but she calmly said, "I'm just the appetizer, remember?" As she came closer, Miss M ducked and swiped Parasite's legs from him. "Here's the main course!"

Red Arrow shot an arrow from the catwalk, which turned into foam, "Foam? You think foam can hold me?" The archer was stripped of his bow and flew into the air, "Or stop me from crushing you with a thought? Combined Martian and Kryptonian powers here!"

Parasite ripped an arm out, while Robin smirked, "But do any of those powers free you before I sabotage your death thingy?"

"This one does," The villain retorted, and shot at Robin with heat vision. Artemis dropped down and shot an arrow, "Element, now!" I shot a small fireball at where the arrow struck. That, combined with the heat vision, exploded the gas.

"So clever. Trick me into igniting flammable gas! But, you forget doofus' double dose of invulnerability. Fire…can't….touch…me."

"Unless you make a meal out of my powers, and get my weaknesses as a side dish!" Parasite's eyes went wide, then he dropped to the floor near the Martian.

"Aw, poor baby. Was it something you ate?"

I smiled at Miss Martian, "Did you read a book of puns before we left?" She smiled back at me.

Robin disabled the black hole thingy, and the wind died down outside.

"We'll take it from here," Faraday pulled a Batman and appeared out of nowhere. The fire was extinguished and a collar was placed on the ugly villain.

"Thanks for the tip, by the way. Definitely helps to prep the inhibitor collars in advanced."

Robin grinned, "Glad to be of service."

Artemis had extended her hand, and after a slight pause, Red Arrow took it.

"Wow. He danes to touch the hand of a suspected traitor."

He showed the smallest of smiles, "Mind. Open. I guess I never really saw the four of you in the thick of it before. Superboy's a hothead, but I know I'm not one to talk. You each could've betrayed us here. You didn't. I'm sorry I doubted any of you. There is no mole."

It was that time where we had to get back to the train or we'd be discovered, but my suspicions were still high. How could Red Arrow go from hating to trusting in a matter of hours? It didn't add up.

* * *

><p>Robin had ran to us after talking with Jack Haly when we came back.<p>

"So?" I asked.

He smiled, "We're doing a farewell show." The one in Geneva. Us 'Dangers' had suited up one last time and took our places on the stage.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the farewell performance of the Daring Dangers!" I looked up once more, and saw Robin swinging from the trapeze, looking happy and completely at home.


	25. Chapter 25: The Letter

**Oh my god. For my birthday I got Arkham City, and now, I can't. stop. playing. Anyway, this is actually an importantish chapter, even if I was winging it half of the chapter(Who knows if the Team gets mail or if Mars sends postcards?)**

**Synk: It would, wouldn't it? And I know. It's one of the many ways I will mess with your heads :)**

**100: Thank you! And yes, it is. Lol!**

**Starlitebreaker: Thank you very much!**

**pyro-pisces12: Yup! Only one more episode 'til the finale. I freaked out when the mole was revealed. And thank you!**

* * *

><p>I was sitting on the couch in front of the TV, flipping through the channels with the remote. Suddenly, the controller was yanked out of my hand with a jerky motion. I looked up, and Robin waved the remote teasingly above my head. I just shrugged; it wasn't like I was watching anything anyway.<p>

There was a flash of blonde, and the remote was somehow in Artemis' hands. She clicked the button a few times, then frowned when she found nothing good.

"CATCH!" Artemis pitched to Zatanna, who caught it in turn. She repeated the process of looking for a show to watch. When the results, again, were zero, she tossed it over to Kaldur. The dark-skinned teen just looked at it, then passed it to Conner, disinterested. Conner looked confusedly at the device, then at the TV. I could tell that he was surprised that the TV actually played stuff besides static. He walked over to where M'gann was sitting, and placed it in her hand. M'gann shook her head, then levitated the remote back to me. We all stared, perplexed, at what just had happened. The remote had took the entire course around the common room in under a minute.

"MAIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLL CAAAAAALLLLLL!" Wally's voice broke the awkward silence. I got up from my seat, intrigued. We never got mail here. Ever.

"Since when did we start getting mail?" Artemis echoed my thoughts.

"Since the League directed important stuff to the Cave from our houses," Robin explained, reaching into the small cart and grasping a handful of letters.

"That's not stalking at all," Artemis muttered.

I eyed the stack, "You're certainly important."

"I have fans," He shrugged self-consciously.

"Cool!" Wally held up a couple of letters, "I have fanmail! So do you, Kaldur!" The speedster's other hand passed over some mail to him. But his nor Wally's pile were as big as Robin's. People must love the Boy Wonder.

"Hey, I got a something from Mars!" M'gann cried happily, reaching into the cart and pulling out a strange looking piece of paper.

"Sorry, nothing for you guys," Robin said, looking over at Artemis, Zatanna, and Superboy. They all just shrugged as if the fact didn't bother them.

"No one knows us…Yet," Zatanna joked.

"This one's for you!" Wally held out a single yellow envelope. I stared at it, an eyebrow raised. Who knew me well enough to send something to the Cave?

"It's yours. I mean, who else would be 'Alex'?" The ginger thrust the thing into my hand. I looked at the front, and he was right. There was nothing but my home address and 'Alex' written in curly lettering.

I took my time slipping my finger under the lid and ripping the seal. A single letter was inside, folded into the thirds. My curiosity was peaked, so I unfolded the paper and read it.

_Dear Squirt,_

_Hey, long time, no see. Well, I guess that's a huge understatement. I can probably guess what you're thinking: Why contact you know, after all these years? After you possibly believed I was dead? To answer those questions, I have to tell you that I visited their graves. It wasn't pleasant(Cemeteries never are) but it was…nice, in a way. But, as I was there, I had this burning desire to see you. Or at least contact you. I missed you right at that moment(Not that I hadn't always missed you). There are so many things I want to tell you. So, at the bottom of this letter, I wrote my number. Please call, Alex. I really miss you. We can meet up at the café or something and catch up. How have you been? Anything new? Finally got into that fancy private school? Make some new friends? Got a boyfriend? Oh, don't even bother with writing back. I want to meet face-to-face. So, just call the damn number. Please? Don't be stubborn, Squirt. I want to see how much you've grown._

_Much love,_

_Adelaide._

_330-562-4908_

I stared, mouth agape, at the letter. I quickly closed it when I realized that was not an attractive sight. A million thoughts were running through my head. My sister, the bad example, the runaway, had contacted me of her own free will. She claimed to miss me. Wanted to 'catch up'. I wondered briefly on how she would react to my life now. A super powered heroine fighting on a Justice League covert team, hunting down a psychopath?

'And pigs can fly' would be her reply. What would I tell her? Hold on, scratch that thought. Did I even want to _see_ her? I flashed back to my conversation with Robin on top of the Wayne Manor. I told him I had no love for her anymore, and that was true. But now…now that she really wanted to see me, I have no idea how to feel about my sister.

I reached into my pocket and grabbed my phone, programming the number into my contacts. I stared at the letter again, then sneered at it. This was obviously a set-up. She didn't want to see me. Why would she want to be with someone she abandoned and left out on her own? She doesn't. Period.

"Hey Lexi!" Wally dragged me out of my thoughts.

"What?"

"Anything good?" He was referring to the letter.

"Nope! It's nothing important," I called back, earning a shrug from him.

I turned away from the others, walking to the trash can in the kitchen.

"Nothing important," I repeated, whispering the words. Snorting, I crumpled the paper between my fingers.

I didn't want to see my sister. Ever. I gave the letter one last squeeze. Then dropped it in the can with satisfaction.

* * *

><p>I chewed my bottom lip, analyzing all the footage we had of Slade, which wasn't much. A fist here, a boot there, a glint of the mask in pale light. It was like he was a ghost.<p>

How did he know where I was? Ok, cameras answered that question without much thought. But, a harder question: how did he know my teammates' fears? Even I didn't know that, and I spend most of my days with them! And it wasn't like Scarecrow's fear toxins, it was so terrifyingly real. Fear gas wears off over time, but if Robin, Wally, and I hadn't rescued the others, they would've been subjected to those fears forever. It was such a terrible thought that I immediately changed subjects.

I flipped through the some reports, but no one seemed to know who Slade was, much less what he was doing. I heard my door slide open and footsteps approach me.

"What's this?" Artemis asked.

"What's what?" I replied, not even looking up.

"_This,_" A crumpled piece of paper covered the reports; a hand holding it by the tips. Terror rose inside me when I recognized what I saw. The letter from my sister! How did they get it?

"A wrinkled piece of paper?" I asked nonchalantly.

"It's from someone close to you. That much is clear," Kaldur said.

I looked up sharply, and saw every member of the Team staring at me, even Roy, "Did you read it?"

The Atlantian looked guilty," Please, we had no intention to of invading your privacy, but-"

"Of course we read it!" Wally exploded, "Who's Adelaide? Why does she want to see you? Whose graves did she visit?"

I couldn't help but look at Robin as I snapped, "That's none of your business!"

M'gann floated forward, "Please, Lexi. It's obvious that you know this person very well. We just want to know why she causes you so much pain."

I flinched like I was just slapped, "I have a feeling you're not gonna leave me alone until I tell you."

Roy smiled, probably giddy at what he thought he would discover about me, "Nope."

I sighed, closing my files on Slade. I wasn't going to go through them tonight, apparently, "That letter is from my sister."

Zatanna raised an eyebrow, "That's it?"

I looked at her passively, "That's far from 'it'. My sister, Adelaide Cross, ran away when I was nine." Shock rippled from the seven other occupants of the room. Out of all of them, Artemis looked the most hurt.

"She left her only sister behind. End of story," I proceeded to open the folder again, when a hand slammed it down.

Wally glared at me, "No, that's not the end of the story! She's wants to reconnect with you!"

I glared right back, "Well, I don't want to see her."

"Why not?" Artemis whispered.

"She abandoned me. I'm just returning the favor." Even I could hear the pain in my voice.

"You shouldn't do that!" Artemis suddenly shouted, "She deserves to see you!"

I stood up quickly, knocking my chair over, "Oh yeah? She left me with two parents who barely remembered they had another daughter! SHE DESERVES NOTHING!" My scream echoed in the barren room.

"I-I'm sorry. I let my emotions get out of hand," I whimpered, picking the chair back up.

"I get that this is a touchy subject-" Zatanna started.

"But we need to know what happened," Roy finished, less than gentle.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. What was wrong with sharing my childhood with my best friends? "Addy was tired of being treated like a second rate daughter. Tired of never getting our parents' approval. She ran away with a promise that one day she would make a name for herself. And then finally would she have the one thing she wanted most. Addy would do anything for that, regardless of what happened to those she left in the dust."

"The graves?" Wally, for once, had a low voice.

"After Addy ran away, my parents stopped being, well, parents. My mom cried and my dad worked. I never really saw any of them," I felt tears make their way to my eyes, "In a last effort to pull our family out of the hole Addy dug, they took me out to dinner. The restaurant was robbed, and when the criminals found no one to murder, they set the place on fire. I got out, but my parents….they weren't so lucky."

My gaze dropped to the floor, "The place collapsed on them. The letter must be talking about their graves."

Green arms wrapped around me, puling me close. Right then, everyone expected me to burst into tears, but I didn't. Truth is, I was too numb to cry.

"I'm so sorry," M'gann whispered.

I hugged her back, "It's ok, M'gann." When she stepped back, I glanced at the solemn faces of my friends, "Really. It's ok."

"Thank you for telling us," Kaldur said.

Wally added, "Yeah! It takes courage to reveal your history to people!"

"Coming from the boy who is the most lax with his secret ID," I retorted lightly.

M'gann slapped her forehead, "Hello, Megan! It's almost time for dinner! Lexi, will you join us?"

"Sure. Be out in a moment."

She nodded, pulling away the Team, chiding softly at all that needed to be done. Only Roy lingered. It was weird, seeing him in civvies. I always thought the ginger archer lived under that domino mask.

"I guess I owe you an apology," I stared at him, thoroughly surprised.

"You do?"

"Yeah. All this time I thought you were a girl that had everything she wanted; the hero work was just because you liked helping people. I'd never thought it would be because you had a personal vendetta."

I corrected him, "Wrong. Well, you're right that about me wanting to help people. But it's so much more than a personal vendetta." _I want to make all my mistakes right._

Roy again surprised me with his other question, "Have you ever tried tracking down your parents' killers?"

"No."

"Why not?"

I crossed my arms, "Because I know that I wouldn't achieve anything by finding them. No one ever does."

He shrugged, "You got me there."

"Roy, Lexi, dinner!" M'gann called from the kitchen. I followed the redhead out into the dining room.

* * *

><p>Since dinner, I've had two visitors. The first person was Artemis. She came in without warning and sat down heavily on my bed.<p>

"Sorry I yelled at you," She said, not looking at me.

"I'm sorry too. I guess I'm still angry at her."

Artemis looked up at me with her dark gray eyes, "I've had some….troubles with my family too. So I can relate."

The archer opened her mouth again, but then closed it with a shake of her blonde ponytail.

"You don't have to tell me anything," I reassured her.

The relief was plain on her face, "Thanks."

The next visitor was Robin. He grinned at me when he came in.

"Well, I didn't have to break my promise!" I looked at him.

His face softened, "That was really brave of you. But, why didn't you want them to know?"

I shrugged, "Sometimes its easier for them to believe that I came from a good place. Not from a broken family."

"It's ok to be broken. Just as long as you have people who can put you back together."

I nodded. When it became clear neither of us wanted to talk anymore, Robin left with a small smile and a wave.

I returned to my work, noticing that Addy's letter on the desk. I picked it up and smoothed out the wrinkles on the hard surface. I made a face as I pictured my friends shifting through the trash. Were they really that desperate to find out who I was? And why me? Artemis was way more secretive that I was!

Besides, who would want to know who I was and what I've done If I was another person and knew all of my secrets, even I would hate myself. And that's saying something.

I retired and packed up my stuff, exiting the room. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the letter, still open. The letters seemed to mock me. Daring me to call the number written at the bottom.


	26. Chapter 26: Lexi Cross Part 1

**Sorry for the wait! School's been a killer x.x**

**Ok, so there's a few things about this chapter I want to point out. Please read, because it is quite important.**

**1) This is the first chapter of the 'Lexi Cross' Trilogy. It is the three part climax of the story!**

**2) I recently watched "Aftershock" of Teen Titans, so don't be surprised if you find elements of that episode in here.**

**3) I'm not particularly proud of this, because I had trouble on how to approach the beginning of this arc. Trust me, though, it all fits together one way or another!**

**4) Since I'm a big Avatar fan, Lexi's style of fighting is a lot like Korra's. Just thought I point that out ^^**

**5) Point of View change!**

**Ok, the finale of YJ, I have no words for it. I was completely blown away with it. My reaction to Robin and Zatanna kissing: aklfhuswegaaern D: NO**

**Synk: You're right...but no spoilers! And yes, I agree. It was quite an intrusion on their part. Thanks for the review!**

**pyro-pisces12: Yeah. Like I said, I pretty much pulled that chapter out of thin air :P And on your comparison of Lexi and Artemis: I actually thought of making an OC with an assassin background before Artemis came(never thought about writing a story, though! XD), and when she did, I was like "Huh. I want my OC to relate to Artemis...here! Let's have sister problems together!" Plus, I was too attached(and lazy) to change. As always, thanks for the review!**

**AnimeFlowerGirl: New reviewer! Thank you so much!**

**100: Thank you!**

**rogue4ever: Another new reviewer! Thank you for the review, and for the birthday wish! It's actually a great idea, but one that won't fit in with the story. Thanks anyway! :D**

**Ok, that's it. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

><p>I smirked over at Wally as I pressed another button on my controller. There was a shout-from both the speedster and his character-as 'KO'd' appeared in big red letters. My own character flashed a victory pose, and my smirk took on an even more superior slant.<p>

"No fair!" Wally complained, throwing his Xbox controller on the ground. He then glared at me with his green eyes.

"Rematch!"

I grinned. This was his fifth rematch, "You're on." That's what we've been doing for the past few hours. Robin, Wally, and I would rotate through the matches, because there were only two controllers. Whoever lost the last round would be switched out. Unless, of course, someone demanded a rematch. Our day was filled with laughter, anger, taunts, fights, good natured bashing, and many calls for rematches. Our game choices ranged from Modern Warfare 3, to Lord of the Rings, to Star Wars, to Motocross, to our current selection: Tekken 6.

I was in the middle of a triple combo when my phone went off, Coldplay's Paradise filtering through the tiny speakers. I paused the game and grabbed it.

"Gotta take this. Rob, play for me," I tossed the black-haired boy the controller.

"What? You can't forfeit!"

I shrugged, "You were losing anyway. Maybe Robin will be nice and let you win."

Robin grinned, "So not gonna happen!"

Wally pouted as I walked out of the room, smiling.

"Hello?" I said in a cheerful voice.

"Hello, Alexandra," The smile was wiped clear off of my face.

"Really? You had to resort to phone calls? Funds must be low," I remarked, keeping my voice soft.

"I want you to meet me at my old hideout," Slade said. More like ordered.

"Why should I listen to you?"

"If you don't, I will blow up Mount Justice, and everyone inside."

I felt the blood drain from my face, "You wouldn't."

"Dearest, you know I would." And I did. If there was anything Slade was good at, it was blowing things up.

"I thought I buried it."

"Exactly."

He didn't want anyone to find out where we were. Authorities would spend countless hours looking for a new place in which they thought Slade would reside, but in reality he would be sitting among the rubble underground. They would never look in a ruined place.

"…Fine. You better not be pulling a fast one on me."

"I'm not. I assure you, this visit will benefit us both." The line went dead, and I snapped the phone shut. I sighed, having no choice but to do what he says. Or else my friends would burn into crispy versions of protégés. I swear to whoever is reading, I won't let that happen.

"Hey," I poked my head into the common room, where Wally was swearing under his breath, "Sorry 'bout this, but I gotta call off game day."

Wally shifted, not looking up, "Kay."

"Don't get killed," Robin offered less than helpful advice. I made a face at the back of their heads, then quickly walked into my room.

I changed into my uniform, and trying not to disturb the two guys in the room over, I took the coordinates from my rescue mission. Rescue. I scowled at the word. I was a superhero, not a damsel in distress. But, of course I needed my knights(and dames)in shining armor to come save me. That didn't sit well with me. It was a blow to my pride, and a low blow at that. I've taken care of myself for a long time, and I couldn't even get myself out of a glass box.

The coordinates pointed to an abandon warehouse within Los Angeles, so I memorized the address, and shut the computer off. I then rerouted the zeta-beam to the destination. There was that tingly sensation as my molecules were transported from Rhode Island to California.

* * *

><p>The warehouse wasn't very hard to find; I just flagged down a couple of people and asked for directions. They were obviously weirded out by a girl in a costume and mask, but they answered my questions anyway. Turns out, the warehouse was apart of a bigger storage unit that went out a business about a year ago. Ah, abandoned warehouses; sweet, sweet, death traps.<p>

The warehouse I was looking for had crumbling walls and ivy growing everywhere it could fit the greedy roots. It looked completely normal on the outside, but underneath my feet, I could feel the disturbance that my avalanche caused. Instead of going into the building and trying to find the panel that concealed the stairs, I took a stance and brought my arms swiftly down. With that one move, the earth had shifted and created a tunnel straight to the hideout. I jumped through it, and landed on my feet, like a cat.

I had to move a bunch of rocks around to meet Slade, who was standing calmly in the wreckage. I stopped close enough so I could hear him, but no closer. I really wanted no part in whatever the man wanted me to do, but he threatened my friends. I don't take lightly to things like that.

"Glad to see where your loyalties lie," He commented.

I snarled, "Yeah right! I only came here because you intend to kill my friends!"

"It's all part of the bigger picture. The world would be a better place without those meddling kids you call 'friends'."

"Says you. We actually help people! You just want to kill them and make things explode. Oh, and world domination."

Slade held up a finger, "Two of which, my dear, you helped me accomplish."

"Don't bring me into this!" I spat, "Just tell me what you want and I'll hightail it out of here."

The gray eye narrowed, and I knew instantly that my 'get in and get out' plan wasn't going to work. There was always a catch. Always a deeper meaning within the masked mercenary's words.

Suddenly, out of no where, Slade threw some Robin-like disks at me, which exploded upon impact; a fact I learned that the hard way. I grunted as my back was slammed into the ground, and stood up again, arms out in front. There were more disks thrown at me, but I evaded them, dancing back and forth like a leaf in the wind.

"Airbending tricks will not get you out of this one." The man rushed at me with his bo-staff.

I smirked, and just as Slade brought down his arm, I drew some water from a nearby source, and froze the limb.

"Don't like wind? Well, water benders can change their defense into their offense!" With a quick motion, the ice crept up to his shoulder.

Slade kicked out with his foot, catching my ankles. I hit the ground hard, and somersaulted backwards to avoid the steel boot that was intended for my head. I took a running start, and jumped over him, using his head as a springboard. I twisted and shot out my right foot, fire blazing in a steady stream.

He just put his arms out in front of his chest, and the fire passed to the sides harmlessly. I landed in a crouch, balancing all my weight on my toes, ready to spring when needed. Slade took another swipe with his staff, and I did a backhand-spring. As soon as I landed, there was a dizzying pain in my temples. I had to give my head a shake before getting back into the fight.

I propelled the earth forward at a speed that would make even Wally envious. I brought my fist back, ready to punch, when I felt the ground fall back down. My feet hit the floor unexpectedly, and I was thrown forward by my own momentum, right past my target.

I looked up from my sprawled out position, and Slade leaned over me, "What the heck did you do?" A stupid question, because I knew that sometime in the last few seconds, he managed to punch all of my pressure points. Some fun little info here: Chis flow all the way through my body, creating my powers, and when pressure points are hit, the Chis are blocked.

His one gray eye seemed to sparkle with victory. He had a remote in his hand, one big red button in the middle. I struggled to my feet, holding my bloodied shoulder. I watched as he pressed the button, and raised an eyebrow. Absolutely nothing happened, and knowing Slade, that was pretty terrifying.

I watched as really creepy looking stands came out of the ground. They reminded me of the paralyzing beams back in India, where the Team almost was broken apart. Fun times.

Just like those stands, the Slade-stands emitted a weird looking purple energy. Instantly, I felt a large pressure on my consciousness. I tried my best to keep it out, but it eventually wiggled through some crack that appeared in my mind's barrier.

I screamed as the thing invaded my brain. There was a few seconds of an odd sensation, like time had stopped and I was suspended in mid-air. But then, I felt like my whole body was being slammed into a small box. I heard two faint voices, both were vaguely familiar.

You know that feeling you have when your foot falls asleep? It becomes numb, but you can feel when it bumps into something? Yeah, that's how my whole body felt now. There was a hazy pain somewhere, but I couldn't quite pinpoint the location.

"Hello?" I asked. I barely felt my mouth move, much less hear the word I was saying.

"Anyone here?" I called again, listening for an answer. Not like my frozen ears would pick up a response, if there was one at all.

After what seemed like hours(but was probably just a few minutes), I gave up, and curled into a ball. I couldn't believe it, but I had to face reality:

Slade had gotten into my mind.

* * *

><p>Robin watched Wally with a smile of satisfaction. The ginger had his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth, his fingers flying over the button. Even with his super speed, he was losing.<p>

"Dang it, Rob!" Wally glared at him, "Just let me win!"

"What's the fun in that? It's amusing to watch your reactions!"

His friend finally got up from his spot, "I'm getting food," He grumbled. Robin picked himself off the floor, and followed Wally into the kitchen. The whole team was there, just chatting about random things. The conversation never had a definite start or end.

"Wally, Robin! You're just in time!" With her telekinesis, M'gann took out a batch of burnt cookies, "I made cookies!"

Wally dove right in, shoving three into his mouth, while Robin said, "No thanks, M'gann. I'm good."

"What's wrong, Baywatch? Did another girl turn you down?" Artemis piped from her place on the counter.

"No," Wally said around mashed up cookies.

"So, is there a new mission for us?" The Boy Wonder hoisted himself up next to Artemis.

"There is not. We have been inactive since our rescue mission," Flinches were shared all around, "and the circus mission for you," Kaldur informed.

"I love you guys-and you know I do-but, you all are really boring," Zatanna commented. Robin tried to ignore the flirty glances she was shooting his way.

Conner shrugged, "What else are we supposed to do? We can't go out like normal teens."

Wally grinned, "Who says we can't?"

"Uh, our powers?"

"Hey," Artemis shot back, "if we can make it through school without giving our identities away, we can go out on a Saturday night."

Wide eyes stared at the archer. Pigs must be flying, because she just backed up Wally.

Conner stiffed, and immediately shushed everyone up. He had a look of intense concentration on his face.

"Conner, what's wrong?" M'gann floated to his side.

"Shh. I hear something."

"Like what?" Wally asked a little too loudly.

The clone's eyes went wide, "Bombs! MOVE!" They all sprang from their seats, running towards the hangar exit, because taking the zeta-tubes one by one was a horrible idea.

Just as the last person's foot hit the grass, there was an earth-shaking explosion. Bits and pieces of the Cave's interior came flying out, along with some fire of the detonation. The Team had to cover their faces from the smoke, while both Kaldur and M'gann retreated a good distance away.

"What…cough...was that?" Wally wheezed.

"Bombs. A lot of bombs," Robin replied through clenched teeth. The League wasn't going to be happy that Mount Justice was infiltrated…._again._

"Who did this?" Zatanna asked between breaths.

"Someone who knew the Cave on the inside," Kaldur replied.

"A mole," M'gann clarified slowly.

"What? I thought we cleared that up!" Artemis exclaimed.

"You thought wrong," A new voice answered her. The Team turned around, and they saw Lexi stroll nonchalantly out of the Cave, not a scratch on her.

"Lexi…?" Robin said hesitantly.

"Lexi!" Wally ran over to her, appearing by her side in less than a second, "What are you doing? How did you-" The speedster's words ended abruptly when Lexi's hand closed around his throat.

"Lexi! What are you doing?" M'gann cried, trying to pry the girl away with her telekinesis. She shrugged, then through Wally with a force that none of them knew she had.

Wally landed with a dull thud, and didn't get back up.

Lexi looked at him with a look close to disgust, "Now that the annoying one is out of the way," She smiled evilly. It was a grin that didn't suit her, and it never would.

She raised a hand, the ground started shaking even worse than when the bombs went off. The Team couldn't help but loose their balance.

When they hit the floor, rock arms pinned them in place.

"Tel kcor esaeler su!" Zatanna said angrily, but more rock piled on her mouth, silencing her.

"Uh uh uh, little magician. Spells won't work on me," Lexi taunted, her eyes glinting murderously.

"Why are you attacking us?" Robin yelled at her.

Aqua irises flocked to him, and he internally squirmed under her gaze. The Batglare was the worst, but Lexi's stare was ranked in his 'Top Ten Evil Looks'.

She grinned broadly, "It was all apart of the plan."

"What plan?" Conner asked, glaring at her.

"If I told you, then that would defeat the purpose," Fire blanketed the forest, devouring the foliage, "Maybe another time."

A low hum buzzed in Robin's ear, and he looked up. A humongous jet appeared out of the sky, flying low and fueling the flames that came dangerously close to him.

"Lexi! You can't do this!"

His best friend stepped on the plane, squatting in the doorway, "Watch me."

Beneath his sunglasses, the Boy Wonder closed his eyes, wishing that this was all a dream; that Slade had captured them again. Lexi couldn't have been the mole, couldn't be evil. It went against everything she believed in. Everything _they _believed in.

When the buzz of the jet faded away, Robin opened his eyes again. He was still in the same situation, as where his friends. His main concern was Wally, who still wasn't moving from his spot.

"Is everyone alright?" Kaldur dared to break the silence.

"Alright? We were just betrayed by own of our own!" Artemis screamed in reply.

"I'm not even traught," Robin added sadly.

Zatanna mumbled something into the rock, which sounded like "When I get my hands on her.."

"What do we do now?" M'gann asked fearfully.

"We try to get out of here, then we go after Lexi," Robin replied, not even looking at Kaldur for confirmation.

"She is dead," Conner said, low.

"We are not killing anybody," Kaldur reminded him, "But I agree. We must figure out what happened to our friend."

"She's not our friend anymore," Artemis spat out, her voice ice cold.

Robin laid his head on the scorched grass, staring up at the blue sky. How can the sun seem so happy when they were feeling so betrayed?

"I heard the explosion of the Cave. What has occurred?" Red Tornado flew down from somewhere. All of them just blinked up at him blankly.

With a few strong tornados, the fire was extinguished and the rocks were torn apart. The Team stood up shakily and stretched their muscles, glad to be free.

"He's unconscious," M'gann reported from her place besides Wally.

"I have sent out a distress signal. The Justice League should be arriving shortly," Tornado informed them.

As if called by his words, the **entire **League came down from the heavens. Robin, Kaldur, and Conner had a bit of déjà vu from their time at Cadmus, where the League had arrived in the same manner.

"Wally!" Flash said instantly, running to his side.

"What happened?" Batman turned to his protégé. His face was as emotionless as ever, but Robin could detect the faint worry lines around his mouth.

"What happened?" Artemis repeated venomously, "What happened was Lexi blew up the Cave and betrayed us!"

"Is this true?" Martian Manhunter asked his niece, and she nodded unhappily, "She set the place on fire….I don't want to believe it, but I think she wanted to kill us."

"Lexi isn't a traitor," Robin growled at no one in particular.

"Then how do you explain her coming and leaving you to the fire?" Batman's voice was harsh, but he knew that his mentor was just trying to make him see reason.

"We will discuss this later," Green Arrow decided, "Let's get you all cleaned up."

* * *

><p>The whole Team gathered in the mission room, hatred shadowing each face. Robin and Wally were the only ones that weren't feeling anything bad about Lexi. Robin because he refused to think anything bad about her; Wally just because he missed everything. He held a little resentment towards being choked, but other than that, nothing.<p>

"So we all can agree that Lexi was the mole," Batman clarified. On the computer was a picture of Lexi, with the word 'CRIMINAL' written underneath. It was like a slap to Robin's face. He had seen every side of Lexi, and he could never believe that she would hate them enough to leave them to die.

"She is now a criminal, and will be treated as such. There are questions we need to answer, and answer fast."

"Who she is working for, why, and how we apprehend her," Aquaman said.

"I can't believe you all would turn your back on her!" Robin burst out, unable to hold it in.

"Robin," Batman glared at him, "You saw what she did. You heard what she said. It is only the right thing to do, so that she doesn't hurt anyone else."

"Ever heard of mind control?" He retorted, "Lexi might be working against her will!"

"And who, pray tell, would get this equipment?" Black Canary said gently.

"No one," The Caped Crusader answered before anyone could even think on the question.

With a swish of his cape, Batman brought up a picture of a STAR Labs facility and a weird gun-looking thing, "We have received evidence that the STAR Lab based in New York City will be raided for a weapon that creates nuclear lasers. Aqualad, I want you and your team to go and protect it."

Kaldur nodded, but Conner said, "You've got to be kidding me! You're doing this again? Distracting us from the real problem?"

"It's just like the thing with Red Tornado!" Wally added.

The famous Batglare swept over the seven teens, "I ordered you to protect this lab, and you will do it. Lexi will be investigated by the League. No exceptions."

They all bravely met the stare for a few moments, but eventually they had to look away.

"We shall set out at once," The Atlantian nodded coolly, then instructed the Team to suit up and get on the Bio-ship.

"Robin," Batman stopped him as soon as everyone else departed, "I know you cared the most for Lexi, but you have to accept that she had planned to betray us."

The bird resisted the urge to snap, "You don't know her," but he held his tongue. In the end, Robin just nodded his head and quit the mission room, his steps heavy.

* * *

><p><em>How can Batman expect us to concentrate on the mission? <em>Artemis asked, her back stiff as she aimed her bow at the doorway.

_Where's Red Arrow?_ Zatanna looked around, _Isn't he apart of this Team?_

_Out,_ Robin replied curtly, raking his binoculars over the building.

_Who would want him here anyway? He'll just rub the Lexi thing in all of our faces, _Kid Flash tried to mimic the archer's deep voice, _'Lexi was the mole, just like I told you. But you wouldn't listen, because you're kids.'_

_Be alert, _Aqualad commanded sharply, _We cannot let our personal feelings get in the way of the mission._

_I feel someone inside! _Miss Martian cried, _It must be the thief! _

Loud, annoying alarms cut through the still air, indicating that someone had broken in. Both the building and the seven teens were bathed in red light.

_Now! _The Team came out of their stakeout place, entering STAR Labs from the windows.

The room they entered in must've been an office. It was small and plain, with a wood desk in the corner and a high-tech laptop on it. Other than that, there was nothing.

"Miss Martian, is everyone linked up?" Aqualad asked after they searched the room thoroughly. Robin hacked into the laptop, but it was more of a personal one than something an individual would use to work on.

The Martian put a finger to her temple, then nodded, "Link is established."

"Good. Everyone, spread out. Cover the entire building if need be. Send out a signal immediately as soon as you find our culprit."

The Team nodded, and split up into different directions, covering all floors of the STAR Labs structure.

Robin was using what his friends called his 'ninja thing'. He didn't really see how he was a ninja. He'd just disappear and come back without warning….oh. Maybe he was a little sneaky.

He ran lightly down the hallway, checking every door that his eyes landed on. Robin must've been unlucky, because all the rooms were offices, and he really wanted to find the robber and take out all of his feelings on him.

The first hall was clear, so the bird ran down the stars into the next.

_Bingo, _He thought as he checking in the nearest room. Inside was some equipment lying around, waiting to be tested. It seemed he had hit the 'lab' part of STAR Labs.

_Guys, I found the equipment hallway. If the thief isn't here, then he left, and our mission is a failure, _Robin reported, peaking into another lab. There was nothing of interest in this room either.

_I read you, Robin. Keep searching, and we will join you shortly, _Aqualad told him, and he nodded, even if his leader couldn't see him.

Reports from the others danced around in his head, but Robin barely heard them as he searched feverishly, just itching for the chance to punch something.

Out of the corner of his eye, Robin saw a shadow jump from a room and down another flight of stairs. Without hesitation, he followed it, half out of anger, half out of curiosity. Really, he wanted to know who would be stupid enough to break into STAR Labs. It was almost as bad as trying to break into Wayne Enterprises!

The shadow led him two floors underneath where he first saw it. The hallway he chased it in was dark. So dark, he couldn't even see his hand in front of his face. Perfect.

Robin pulled up a holographic map of the building. Mostly for the light it gave off, and to see if he could pick up a heat signature of the mysterious shadow. There was one, and he followed it all the way to the end of the hallway. The heat signature pulsed brightly; suspiciously right in front of him.

He brought the bright blue light in front of him, and it lit up a sliding door. Robin thought that he needed to hack it to get in, but all it took was a push to gain access to the room, and whatever was inside.

It was dark inside as well, but Robin could still tell that it was the largest room by far in the facility. There was a rustling up ahead, so he felt along the wall until he located several light switches. He flicked them all on, and one by one, each bulb had sprung to life, coating the interior in harsh white light.

In the middle of the large space was the nuclear laser creator, suspended in a large, indestructible case.

Also illuminated by the light was a person trying to break into the case. They had already cut a hole into the case, and was reaching into it to grab the gun.

Robin narrowed his eyes at the criminal, then ran to his left. His gloved hands gripped a ledge, and he pulled himself onto it. Running softly but fast, Robin waited until he was directly above them to let out his signature laugh.

"You know, I'm in a pretty bad mood. But if you cooperate, I won't hurt you…much. Deal?"

He expected resistance, or some explosive to come flying his way. What he _didn't_ expect was a large gust of wind that send him hurtling towards the concrete ground. At the last minute, Robin twisted himself so that he landed on his feet, before his rear end slammed into the floor.

"Ouch. Ok, You made your point. Cooperation: No. Fighting: Yes." The bird grabbed his Eskrima sticks, and with a shout, ran full speed at the crook. He took a swipe, but the mysterious person had jumped back into the darkness with surprising agility.

Robin pursued, but had to let his eyes adjust before he could do any searching. Out of no where, something hit him in the side of the head, and he was sprawled out on the floor with a grunt.

_Rob? You ok? _Came the worried voice of Kid Flash.

_The culprit is in sub level Two. Last door on the left before the stair. Please-_ The thought was cut off as mounds of earth had crashed upon him. It took all of his concentration to avoid being crushed by whatever this geokinetic was throwing at him.

_Robin! _Miss Martian cried at the lack of response.

_They…have…superpowers,_ He managed to get out before having to dive out of the way.

_We will be there as soon as possible, _Aqualad promised.

_Hang in there! _Artemis added, then no one spoke.

_As supposed to?_ Robin questioned. He didn't expect an answer, and received none. Instead, the Boy Wonder focused on getting back into the light, where he could actually see what he was dealing with.

"Can't catch me!" He called, forcing his frustration to the back of his mind. Weaving through rocks and technology, he finally made it back to where he started, breathing heavily.

"Afraid of the light?" He taunted into the empty abyss that was the rest of the room. He was almost convinced that the criminal had left, but then he heard the steel footfalls. They came closer and closer, yet he still couldn't see who he was facing.

"You want to see me?" The thief spoke for the first time, sounding feminine and familiar. They stepped into the lightened portion, and Robin had the worst shock of his life.

The person standing before him was…Lexi. She still had her uniform on, but instead of the four colors blending together on her tank top, it was a dull medium shade of gray. There was steel plates on her shoulders, elbows, and knees, and her boots were more Artemis-like. Lexi had ditched the mask, exposing her aqua orbs for everyone to see. Also, her red headband was gone, leaving her brown bangs to fall in front of her right eye. The worst, though, was that her yellow 'E' had been replaced with a black 'S'

"Hey, Robin. Long time, no see," Lexi smirked.

"Lexi? How?"

She rolled her eyes and turned away from him. She reached once again into the case, her fingers grasping the nuclear blaster.

Robin had to drag himself out of his astonishment and throw a birdarang at his…well...opponent.

The girl jerked her hand back, glaring at him. In a second later, the anger was replaced by a calm demeanor, "I see you found your sea legs. But, tell me Robin," Concrete blocks flew at him, "How does it feel to fight your best friend?"

He dodged them both, running closer to Lexi, "I don't understand. Lexi, you were good!"

Lexi doubled over in laughter, tears springing into her eyes .She then righted herself, and grinned evilly, "You're the World's Second Greatest Detective. You tell me."

Robin took a stance, and threw a punch at her, no matter how much it hurt him. She was now the enemy, _his _enemy, and she must be dealt with.

She blocked the hit with her wrist, and he used his other hand to twist that arm behind her. He shoved her into the wall, and growled into her ear.

"You had your whole life ahead of you! I thought you wanted to do good for the world! How could you go and work for Slade?"

Lexi laughed and moved her other arm. Rocks shot out of the concrete, switching their positions so Robin was the one that was against the wall

"Do I have to spell it out for you? It was all a pretense. A façade. I never wanted to be a hero. Never wanted to work alongside the Justice League," She leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "I was a spy for Slade. My mission was to gain your trust so I could crush you from the inside," She backed up again, "And it was a success. That's what's wrong with you heroes: You always show compassion."

Robin struggled, trying to work his way out of the rock, "What about your family? All those things you said about your sister? Your parents? Were all those lies?"

He almost wanted to ask her about their relationship, but he decided it would be bad for the both of them.

Lexi's face shadowed for a moment, but just as quickly, it was gone. She shrugged, "No. Those weren't lies. My sister did run away and my parents did die. But, I told you those things so that you'd trust me more. It was _so _hard getting myself to cry like that. But, you do whatever is necessary, right?"

Robin was saved from replying by the sound of the door sliding open. His friends rushed in, ready to strike, but they stopped as they saw Robin pinned to the wall by rocks.

"Robin…?" Zatanna asked hesitantly. In all that confusion, Lexi managed to slip away and grab the nuclear blaster.

She jumped onto a ledge, and gave a wave, "Well, this was fun. But, I gotta jet. Later!" With a toss of her hair, she turned and disappeared through the doorway, her steel footsteps slowly fading away.

"Why didn't you tell us Lexi was the criminal?" Artemis accused when they were pulled out of their shock.

"I was a bit busy," He replied through gritted teeth.

"We need to get you out," Miss Martian fretted. She moved her gloved hands, and his rock binds fell to the floor.

"Thanks," Robin said, rubbing his wrist.

"We need to report to Batman," Aqualad said, "Then, we will go after Lexi. No matter what the League says, She was our friend, and we are the ones responsible for her."

Nods were shared all around. They weren't concerned about getting Lexi back; their thoughts were all on the ways they would get revenge. Robin was the worst; he never felt any level of betrayal like this. He finally accepted that Lexi-his best friend-was always, forever will be, evil. He had given her the benefit of the doubt, and she took it and smashed it to pieces.

Robin was going to stop her, no matter what it took.


	27. Chapter 27: Lexi Cross Part 2

**Sorry! School's been kicking my butt, so I didn't have much time to type this. But, I was determined to get this typed up before the premire of Invasion tomorrow! So,this is the second part of the Lexi Cross trilogy, and a point of view changer! It has action, fluff, and even Daddybats!**

**kissa1233: Thank you! I will!**

**pyro-picses12: I know, I know. It all works out though!**

**Synk: You don't need to kill me! Here's the next chapter!**

**AnimeFlowerGirl: Thank you very much!**

**Sheldon2.0: Ok, first off, I want to tell you right now that I'm appreciating your reviews, but you are ****_not _telling me how to write my own story. I'm sorry if I don't do what you want, but I stated before that I'm not doing a Robin-to-Red X. That's for Teen Titans, and this is not Teen Titans. Thank you for understanding.**

* * *

><p>"You failed." It wasn't even a question. It was a statement that was so true it hurt.<p>

Batman glared down at the seven protégés, "It was a simple protection mission."

"Batman, if I may," Kaldur took a step forward. Six pairs of wide eyes stared at him. He was certainly gutsy, trying to reason with an angry Bat, "We understand completely that it was a failure, but you must remember: Lexi was our friend, and we did not know what to do. Fighting her seemed…wrong, as we have seen her do good. We let our personal feelings get in the way, and for that, I apologize."

The white lenses of Batman's cowl narrowed dangerously, but all he said was, "Get some sleep. We will continue this tomorrow."

The Team looked at each other with something close to fright. Tomorrow would be a bad day for them. You didn't have to be a mind-reader to tell that they were going to be punished into next week.

"Robin." Batman halted at the zeta-tube, waiting for his partner. The raven-haired boy let out a small hiss between his teeth, and obediently followed the man through the transportation device. Robin was so angry that he didn't even realize he was hurting his fingers by clenching his hands so hard.

* * *

><p>"Welcome back, Master Bruce, Master Dick," Alfred greeted them in the Batcave. The butler gave the computer one last swipe with his rag, then folded it.<p>

"How's the reconstruction going?" Bruce asked, pulling off his cowl.

"It is on schedule, sir. The construction process has been halted for the night, as it is three o'clock," He added pointedly.

"Alfred, you of all people know that bats work best in the dark," The younger man said with a semi-light voice.

"Bats don't have to work in the morning," Alfred retorted, taking the cowl and putting it in the glass case.

"Dick, we're back in the Batcave. You can take the mask off," Bruce said.

It took a moment for Richard to realize that he was talking to him, "Sorry, what?"

"Your mask, Master Richard."

"Oh," Dick brought his gloved hand to his face and ripped off the domino mask, exposing the dark blue eyes. Sluggishly, he started to take his uniform off, leaving him in only shorts and a t-shirt.

Bruce's own brown orbs softened, "Go to sleep. We'll talk in the morning."

"What? You're gonna yell at me like you will the Team?" Dick snapped. He was fuming, and was taking his feelings out on everyone else.

His adoptive father frowned and said, "Richard." It was all the boy needed to hear to know that it was serious. Bruce only used his full name when things were severe enough, "You're not yourself. As I said, we will talk everything out tomorrow."

"Come, Master Dick," Thought he didn't want to, Dick let Alfred lead him out of the Batcave, pass the wreckage the fire caused, up the stairs, and into his room.

"Good night," Alfred said.

"Mmm," Dick didn't bother replying with words. Sighing, Alfred flicked off the lights and shut the door, leaving him in the dark.

He knew that he should get some sleep, but his racing mind refused to let his eyes grow heavy. Out of all the options, slumber was not one that was working. He tossed and turned in his sheets, feeling constricted. He wanted-no, _needed_-to go and check up on Lexi. Well, not check up, but figure her out. He was the World's Second Greatest Detective, but when it came to the elemental, he was in the dark.

Even if he was Batman's partner, Dick was still bound to rules. Breaking out was one that he broke frequently, so what was one more time going to do? With the thought, he kicked the blankets off the bed. Keeping his footsteps light, Dick slipped out of his room and back down the stairs, careful not to hit any part of the damage the fire caused.

He approached the grandfather clock, and twisted the hands to the correct time. There was a click, and the door opened, taking Dick down the steps and into the Batcave.

The Batcave was exactly what you would expect: A giant cave with bats flying around the ceiling. But, not only did it have the bats, it had all the equipment Batman used to keep order in Gotham City and in the world.

The most noticeable feature was the Supercomputer in the center, which Dick headed straight for. It sent alerts whenever a crime was committed, and was protected from any hackers, though he usually outsmarted it.

There was a hangar, a garage, a crime lab, laboratories, some workshops, and other rooms to hold whatever the Batman had (giant T-Rex, anyone?). Various walkways got a person from one room to another, and some held the many vehicles and their exits.

Dick's fingers were blurs as they clicked across the keys. Fortunate for him, Bruce kept a file on Slade. It wasn't really surprising, as he had a file on everything-even Richard himself.

Slade Wilson was apart of the Untied States Army, when he underwent a secret military experiment to create metahuman supersoldier. He became a mercenary after he defied orders and rescued a comrade and friend, who was sent on a suicide mission; a man who was unknown to even Batman. After this event, many came to hire him as an assassin, and he killed for money.

It all changed when his son, also unnamed, was taken as blackmail for Slade to reveal the name of one of his clients. Slade, being Slade, killed the kidnappers and saved his son, but not before the boy's throat was slit, muting him forever.

Nothing else was noted, only that after the son was injured, something happened to Slade and he donned the mask that now was his trademark look. And that he was a dangerous criminal that needed to be dealt with. There also was something about his apprentices. One that no one knew about and seemed to drop off the face of the Earth, and the other one who worked for him for four years. Dick assumed Lexi was the second apprentice, but that inference was flawed. It said that the apprentice defied Slade and ran away, while Lexi was still there…

That placed the first seeds of doubt in his mind, but he hurriedly pushed them away. This wasn't a time for doubts, this was a time to obsessively click through the meager information about the man.

When there was nothing else to search for, Dick switched his focus from Slade to Lexi. The file was short, like Slade's, and held little information-though he did find out her middle name, which was Noelle.

It really struck him on how low-key and secretive she really was. It took a lot for her to reveal her whole history to him, and a lot for to reveal it to the Team, even if she did trust them with her life.

He could understand why, as it was kind of the same ordeal for him. If not for Bruce's rule, he would've shown his identity to his friends a long time ago, but not everything. It was better to let others presume that you were whole, when you really were broken.

Lexi knew that. She understood what the costs were of revealing yourself. Understood how hard it was to see your parents die right in front of you. Understood that being broken could be second-nature to people.

Lexi understood everything, and now that understanding and empathy was gone.

"You should be in bed," The voice of Bruce echoed around the cave.

"You too," Dick replied, not even looking up.

"I guess we can have that talk now." His father took a seat across from him. Dick internally groaned, wanting to search more on Slade and Lexi.

"Richard. Look at me," Bruce growled, and the boy reluctantly pulled his eyes away from the screen.

"Yes?"

Bruce looked uncomfortable, as he wasn't one for mushy stuff, "I, uh, know you had some special feelings for Lexi, and-"

"What made you think that?" Dick sputtered indignantly, but still couldn't help the heat from rushing to his face.

"Well, for one: you're blushing. And I've seen the way you looked at her. The way you're perfectly comfortable around her. And, if I know you as well as I think I do, you were going to reveal your secret identity to her."

"So? Need I remind you of Selina Kyle?"

"No," Bruce snarled, low, "What I'm trying to say is to be careful about who you give it out to."

Dick waved a hand, "I know. You were right. If I revealed myself to Lexi, Slade could've killed me."

"Another thing: I believe Slade was the one who set the manor on fire."

"Lexi told him."

"That is a possibility. The whole 'someone watching Lexi' was most likely a plot to get her inside the manor and to blow it up. Something even more troubling is that she knows who I am. Who Batman is."

"But if she told Slade, he would've came already," Dick trailed off as the realization hit him, "You think she's still good?"

"To an extent. There's evidence of her being the spy she said she is, but there is contradicting evidence of her being mind-controlled or something of the sort."

"So how do we figure out who Lexi is?"

"That's actually what I wanted to share with you," Bruce admitted, "Yes, I was going to give you a lecture on the failure, but I also want you to fight Lexi again, and try to find out if she's really evil."

"Well, are you going to share it with the Team?" Dick asked, starting to get anxious.

"…No. I will send the Team on a mission to 'capture' Lexi. But really, I want you to talk to her."

Dick's brow furrowed, "But why me? M'gann could just read her mind."

"While Miss Martian is capable of going into Lexi's mind, she is still a novice, and most likely unwilling to delve into her friend's consciousness. It's a huge invasion of privacy. And, with her mental powers, Miss Martian might mess up her even more, depending on what she sees."

"But why me?" He repeated

Bruce sighed, "You were the closet to Lexi, and the one she will listen to the most, if at all."

"Makes sense," The raven-haired boy shrugged, then hopped off Bruce's chair, "I'm going to bed now. No, really!" He added when his mentor gave him a disbelieving look.

"Good night, Dick."

"Night, Bruce!" He called, escaping the Batcave and going to his room to climb under the sheets once more.

* * *

><p>"RECOGNIZED: BATMAN 02, ROBIN B01," The two named heroes walked into the Cave side-by-side, the same determined looks on their faces.<p>

"Ok, Bats. Let's hear it," Wally said fearfully, gazing at the man with wide green eyes that stuck out from underneath his cowl.

Batman didn't waste a moment, "You all let your conflicting emotions about Element get in the way of your mission. That is a bad habit to get into. Every type of law enforcement has to learn to channel their emotions for the greater good, no matter how hard. This is a lesson you all need to learn," He brought up a picture of Lexi, decked out in her new 'Slade' uniform, "And this is how you all are going to do it."

"Wait a minute," Artemis spoke up, "You're punishing us by sending us on a mission?"

"That's correct. To teach you all how to push your feelings aside, you will stop Element from setting an explosion in Dr. Matthew Halloway's laboratory."

"Dr. Matthew Halloway?" Zatanna repeated, "What did he do to Slade?"

"That is something we can't figure out. All we know is that Slade is out to get Halloway, and will stop at nothing to kill him. Go to the laboratory, and protect the man from Slade's, and possibly Element's, murderous ambition."

"We shall apprehend her, no matter what happens," Kaldur promised.

"Good. I expect you to all succeed." There was no room for failure. Not two missions in a row.

Batman ordered them to board the Bio-ship immediately, and wished them luck, but only Robin saw the twitch of his face that gave away how worried the Bat was about the seven teens going against one of their best friends.

* * *

><p>"So," Kid Flash twisted in his chair, "how are we gonna do it?"<p>

"Do what?" Superboy asked.

"What else? Capture Lexi?"

"We gave her all our chances," Aqualad said, looking at every single person in the eye.

"There is no more trust," Artemis growled venomously.

Zatanna added darkly, "No more mercy."

"She's just another criminal," Robin told his friends, trying to sound convincing.

"But she's not," Kid Flash said quietly, "Lexi was our friend. She was a member of this Team. She was….a hero."

"No one can be a hero and try to kill their friends!" Artemis spat back, her gray eyes blazing with fury.

The speedster ignored the archer, and turned to Miss Martian, "What do you think, Miss M?"

"I-I don't know," She admitted, "It was very cruel of her to try and kill us, but I'm not entirely convinced it was her doing."

Robin's curiosity spiked; did Miss Martian believe Batman's theory?

"As she talked to you, Robin, I picked up an emotion from her mind. It was raw confusion, but nothing else. You would expect rage and determination, but other than uncertainly, her mind was a blank canvas."

The blonde retorted, "She could be fooling you."

Miss Martian gazed at her with sad eyes, "You can't lie inside your mind."

The statement quieted everyone, though Artemis still had anger placed on her features. Each teenager was lost in their own thoughts, some not even about the task before them.

"Approaching destination," The green girl announced to the still group. The effect was almost magical, as bodies straightened up and eyes glittered, ready to being the ex-hero to justice.

* * *

><p><em>This is it, <em>Robin said as he stared up at the large complex centered in Boston, Massachusetts.

_It's huge! _Artemis exclaimed as she scaled the building. She and Superboy were chosen to stakeout from the entrance because both had exceptional eyesight-one being Kryptonian, of course.

_About time you got here, _Superboy told the archer as she stood up on the roof.

_Sorry I don't_ _have superpowers, _was her gritted reply.

_It says that Dr. Halloway is still inside, _Robin reported, looking at the heat signatures inside the structure. There were a few: nurses and doctors and Halloway himself, and none had given off an evil vibe.

_Good. Everyone, keep a sharp lookout. _Aqualad instructed, getting a grip on his water bearers as he made his way to the East wing. Each entrance was covered, with Miss Martian keeping watch from above. They all slowly rotated sides to make sure o one made it past them.

_What was that? _Zatanna questioned. Then, they heard a muffled scream, then nothing.

_Zatanna? _Artemis asked hesitantly.

_Zatanna, report! _Aqualad roared, but there was nothing. After a moment's pause to give the magician some time, he said, _Miss Martian, check it out._

_Alright, _She said, and floated over to the area where Zatanna had last been. Only the Team could see her, for she had her camouflage on.

No more than a few seconds after the Martian went to check the place, there was a loud explosion.

"M'gann!" cried Superboy, instantly jumping off the building and into the fire.

"There goes our cover," Robin muttered, and took off in a run. He was closet to where the inferno had started, and he could already feel the heat bath his face.

Ok, what was with villains and fire?

There was a black blur, and Kid Flash rushed past him. He may be the closet, but placement won't win in a race against the Fastest Boy Alive.

Without hesitation, Robin jumped into the flames, searching for the girl who could very well die if they didn't find her soon. Smoke filled his lungs and made him cough, the haze dimming his vision.

"Miss M?" He called, throat raw, into the blaze. There was no response, and Robin started to feel a slight panic.

_Miss Martian? _He tried again, but was met with the same results.

Growling, he shoved a piece of rubble aside, but only empty ground greeted him.

"Robin?" A faint question made him turn. Aqualad staggered up to him, a pained look on his face.

"Aqualad? What happened? Where's Miss Martian?" He asked, supporting the older boy.

"Fire's….killing….us," Aqualad said meekly, which was an adjective that didn't suit him very well. The Atlantian was quiet and polite, yes, but never meek. He was anything but.

"Come on, I'll get you outta here," Robin draped an arm around his leader, taking in some of his weight. But, he only walked a few steps before Aqualad was dragged out of his grasp.

Spinning on his heel, the Boy Wonder just had time to reach out and touch his fingertips before Aqualad was hauled back into the fire by rock hands, fear plain on his face.

"Aqualad!" He gave chase, but couldn't figure out where the dark-skinned teen was taken. Everything looked the same; no markers to give Robin a clue where he was. Every floor had wreckage, and each pile of debris seemed to have the same pattern, not to mention the blanket of flames and smoke that covered the whole area.

His head was swimming from the lack of oxygen; he needed to get out. But what Robin needed more was to continue his search for his friends-three of which had disappeared, no doubt by Lexi's hand.

As if by an unspoken command, the fire grew smaller and smaller, until there was a small ring a ways ahead. And he could only guess at who would be there. So, Robin ran. He ran towards the fire like his life depended it on. Well, maybe not his, but he knew two people whose lives _did _depend on his speed. For once, he wished he was Kid Flash.

Speaking of Kid Flash, the named speedster had appeared beside him, his face laced with horror and determination.

"Rob!" The redhead gripped his forearm, his face pale.

"KF, what's going on?"

"M'gann," Superboy said before Kid Flash could answer, The clone was staring at the ring, or more specifically, what it held.

Aqualad and Miss Martian were slumped together against a wall, both unconscious. The fire was small, but dangerously hot. It circled a few feet away from the two pairs of feet, almost dancing in delight at the flesh it would soon devour.

There was the sound of a cable being launched, and to follow the noise, Artemis rappelled down to them from the roof of the building.

She gasped when she saw Miss Martian and Aqualad, "Are they-"

"No." Kid Flash cut her off.

"They will soon. We have to get them out of there!" Superboy snarled hatefully.

"Why don't you just run in there?" The archer questioned.

Superboy pointed upwards, and they all craned their necks. Above them, just barely visible, was the distinct glow of Kryptonite on the roof over.

"Well, we have to do something!" Kid Flash said.

"And we can't risk time arguing," Robin added.

"So, what do you suppose we do?" Artemis retorted. But the words weren't full of their usual spite. Fear drowned out every other emotion.

"Well, this is certainly a problem," A voice sounded over their heads. Even Superboy arched his neck to get a look at who the voice belonged to-not that he needed it.

"How do you like my trap?" Lexi called cheerfully. "Using the petty magician, I lured you all to your demises." A hand was waved, and the concrete wall across from them flipped over like a panel. Completely encased in the material, save for her head, was Zatanna. Her bright blue eyes widened as she saw them, and shook her head fast.

"Mmmm! Mmmm!"

Lexi laughed, cupping one of her ears, "What was that? Sorry, I can't hear very well!" Zatanna just glared.

"Lexi, stop it," Artemis growled, an arrow pointed straight at her heart.

"You shouldn't be playing with sharp objects," Lexi frowned, "They're very dangerous."

The green feathered projectile was shot, but the girl easily evaded it. With a quick motion, the Kryptonite rose off of the roof, and slammed into the ground right near Superboy.

The clone grunted, falling the ground as the element's powers seeped into his system. Lexi followed the Kryptonite's path, planting one boot on his back, shoving him into the dirt.

"You won't be going anywhere. Not with this thing right next to you." She told him maliciously, and gave him an extra shove.

"Four down, three to go." She advanced on the remaining members of the Team.

"A-Are you going to kill them?" Kid Flashed dared to ask.

Whatever Lexi was going to say was lost as Artemis shot another arrow at her. With another quick motion, the arrow's path was redirected and sailed over their heads.

The ground shook and rose, grabbing the archer by her wrists and ankles. Rocks shot out, taking the bow and snapping it in half. Her quiver was also unclipped, leaving arrows to litter the ground.

"Two," Lexi counted off as Artemis was tethered to the ground, swearing violently. An annoyed expression grew on her face, and Artemis's mouth was silenced as more rocks piled themselves on it.

"Between her and Miss Magic over there, I can't decide who's more irritating," She shrugged, and took another step towards them.

Robin held up a birdarang, "Lexi, don't make me do this."

"Or what? What else do you have to loose? You already lost your friends. You're going to loose your life. Or sanity," Aqua eyes narrowed, "Whatever fate I choose, I'll make sure the Bat will feel it."

"And the Flash?" Who said heat vision was just for Superman?

"Sorry," Kid Flash piped, then rushed at Lexi. Robin didn't know what his plan was, but it wasn't working. The ginger ran circles around the girl, and she yawned. Lexi stuck out her foot, and Kid Flash tripped over it.

"Really? You have to do better than that!" In an instant, the boy was sprawled on the floor, frozen from the mouth down.

"So, this is a prime example of déjà vu!" Lexi smirked as she dropped into a crouch, facing Robin.

"Yup. Friend against friend," He mimic her move, and they circled each other, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

She laughed, "Robin, dear. I was never your friend."

Batman's orders flashed in his head, "That's not true. You and I, we had something. I'm not exactly sure what it was, but it was more than friendship."

Lexi's face turned red. From embarrassment or anger, he wasn't sure, "Shut up!"

"You trusted me, Lexi. With everything."

"Not everything. There are some secrets that go to the grave."

"Like your parents?" He spat back, and she flinched. He found the right cord, and he continued to strike it.

"Lexi, you are my best friend. You are good! Slade's just controlling you!"

A mound of ground rushed towards him, and he dived, "Stop acting like you know me!"

"But you-"

"Have you ever stopped to think that maybe I_ wanted_ things to be this way? Without-" Whatever she was going to say never made it, because her mouth was clamped shut.

'Without what?" He prompted gently. He was waiting for an answer, but never got it.

The huge wave carried him off his feet, slamming him into the floor. When he opened his eyes again, Lexi was standing over him, an icicle aimed at his chest. The moonlight reflected off her eyes, and he thought he saw tears. Then the real thing hit him. Lexi was being mind controlled! When someone's head was being messed with, their eyes usually had something odd about them. Lexi's gleamed with a different light.

"You can't kill me," He taunted, staring up at the girl.

"Watch me," She replied, her teeth clenched.

"You can't take a life, Lexi. Especially not mine." Robin watched as Lexi bit her lip. He could almost see the fight as she struggled to regain control if her mind.

"I-I know," She whispered, and stepped back, the icicle melting. Robin took advantage of the lull and jumped to his feet, prepared to bring his best friend back.

What he saw shocked him. It was hard to surprise him, given what he has seen and done, but nothing prepared him for this. Lexi was no longer standing, but on the floor, blood dripping from her head.

Slade stood calmly in her place, "I figured I'd have to intervene."

* * *

><p>Cold. The only sensation in the dark corners of my head. Was this what my mind was really like? If it is, I feel really bad for any telepaths who tried, and will try, to invade my mind. It was a scary place.<p>

Even though my whole being was numb, it didn't stop the freezing sensation from invading. To preserve what body heat I had left, I curled into a ball ever since I entered this place. Well, expect for those times when there was blinding pain, making me scream out into the darkness.

How long have I been here? There was no way to tell time in this hellhole, though I'd guess a week at the least. Every so often I heard voices, all hazily familiar. I thought I heard my own voice a few times. It angered me, to know that my worst enemy was controlling my body and my mouth. Just thinking about what he could tell the Team, what he could do to them, made me shiver. Arkham Asylum, here I come. Prepare me a nice cell, ok? Maybe next to Poison Ivy, because there was no way I'm being next to the Joker.

A pang of uncertainty flowed through me, and I frowned. There was a voice, faint at first, but growing stronger. I knew I recognized it, but the name escaped me. I released a cry of frustration from my frozen mouth.

Almost like it was an answer to my call, a light burst through the blackness, far away. It came closer and closer, until I could just touch it with my fingertips….

"I-I know," I heard myself say. What did I know?

Then pain, as my head was hit with a blunt object. The feeling of crumpling to the ground, and the warm sensation of blood trickling down my head.

Wait, I could feel again! With the realization, my eyes snapped open. My head gave a painful throb, and I brought a hand up, only to have it come back bloody.

I shakily got to my feet, making a mental note about my new shoes. When did I buy these, and why? Army boots were more Artemis' style.

Dragging my gaze from my shoes, I looked up, then almost wished I didn't. Slade had Robin suspended with one hand to his throat, the other punching him over and over and over, drawing more and more blood…

"STOP IT!" I screamed, and the earth shook violently underneath. The sudden shift threw Slade off balance, and he hit the wall nearest to him.

"Robin!" I ran to his side, stumbling and tripping over my own feet. When I reached his body, I had the horrible notion that I was too late.

His uniform was ripped, showing bloodied skin. Even the mask was torn, though it still concealed what ever color his eyes were. His black hair was matted down with both blood and sweat, but I pushed it back from his eyes.

"Robin, if you die, I swear I will kill you!" I sobbed, resting my head on his chest and letting my tears fall.

"How could you do that if I'm already dead?" His voice made me pick my head up.

"Robin?" I asked, and he smiled.

"Good to have you back, Lexi. I knew you were in there somewhere."

I sobbed harder, hugging him tightly.

"If I may interrupt this _touching _reunion," The fabric of my shirt was pulled, yanking me away from Robin. My feet were lifted off the ground, and I found myself glaring into the mask of Slade.

"You're going to pay for that," He growled at Robin, "I lost my best apprentice."

"You controlled me!" I shouted, swinging my leg to kick in the knee. His grip loosened, and I dropped to the floor once more. Using the force to my advantage, I sprung up again, punching him in the jaw.

He back-flipped, landing on his feet, "I could've had all of you eliminated if it weren't for _him,_" He jerked his thumb in Robin's direction.

I caught on his meaning and turned around slowly, taking in everything. Zatanna was chained up to the wall, Kid Flash was frozen, Superboy was faintly breathing, Kryptonite near his face. Artemis was in the same predicament as Zatanna, just on the floor, and Miss Martian and Aqualad were unconscious, fire slowly creeping towards their bodies.

The worst part was, the conscious ones were staring at me with malice.

I rounded on Slade, "You tried to make me kill my own friends?" The wind picked up, blowing the debris every which way.

"They needed to be dealt with," He shrugged, then just barely dodged the fire blast I sent his way.

"YOU MUDEROUS BASTARD!" I screamed, and raised my hands. The nearby buildings shook, then rocks rained down on the mercenary. They covered him fully, but no way was he down. As soon as the mask popped out of the pile, my fist met his face.

His body soared out of the building complex, and into the field nearby. Just before he hit the ground, a thick stream of water caught him, threw him up, caught him again, then threw him to the ground once more.

The wind was becoming a F-3 tornado.

Grass, trees, and unchained items were sucked into the air as the earth moved to my command, trapping Slade in a way similar to Artemis.

I peered over at him in disgust, "First you make me kill people, then you take control of my mind? You are a monster."

He stared back at me, "You seem to be forgetting that I taught you all that you know."

"You're trying to take credit for that? Please! Batman's more of a father to me than you, and I never see him!"

The rock busted as Slade broke himself out, and a hand cupped my chin, "Dearest-"

"Don't touch me!" Two water blasts pulled him away from me, and he skidded across the already messed up terrain.

I followed his path, and the wind blew even harder. I'm no scientist, but I could guess that this speed was just shy of a F-5 hurricane.

Slade shook as he tried to get himself back on his feet. Feeling triumphant, I smashed my boot into his head, grinding his face into the soil.

"You…can't…kill….me!" He hoarsely choked out, glaring up at me.

I released his head and stepped back, "I'm not, and I won't. I'm not you. _I don't kill_."

Satisfied with his weakened state, I turned my back on Slade for the last time, ready to make amends with my friends.

There was a shout, and I felt the pounding of footsteps. Spinning on my heel, I spread my arms wide apart, feeling the Earth's crust move.

To say Slade let out a yelp would be too much, so I'm going to say he screamed at the least. The entire ground had broke in half, and he was dangling from the edge, both hands scrabbling to get a grip.

What I didn't expect, however, was the lava that bubbled up, almost at the tip of Slade's steel boots.

His one gray eye moved at a rapid rate, searching for something to pull him up. The strong winds weren't helping either, as the element buffered in this way and that.

I watched him with conflicting emotions. My biggest enemy, my worst nightmare, was inches from death. I should feel relieved, vengeful even, that I could reach down and fling him into the lava. But yet, some strange, twisted part of felt sad that he was going to die. I mean, I was talking about the man who took me in when I had nowhere else to turn. He raised me in his own sick way.

"Take my hand!" I cried, getting on my knees and reaching downward. Slade stared up at me in shock. I could relate; why was I helping him?

His hand reached up, and I was just about to grab it when he deliberately let go of his other hand, so instead of being pulled to safety, he was dropping down into fiery death.

The gray eye smirked before it was consumed forever.

I sat back on my heels, dazed. What just happened? Did Slade really believe that death was better than giving out information? Not that it mattered now.

There was a hand on my shoulder, and I looked up at Robin. He was looking at me with a careful expression, and said, "Come on. Let's get the others."

* * *

><p>The seven members of my team stared at me, emotions swimming through their eyes.<p>

"I don't know whether to be really angry, or really happy." Kid Flash confessed, averting his gaze.

"You know what I think," Artemis hissed, and I winced.

"Look, guys, I.." I trailed off when I realized I had nothing to defend myself with. I mean, mind-control was really far fetched.

"Miss Martian," Aqualad nodded to the green girl, and she bit her help.

"What…M'gann, what are you doing?" I cried as I saw her eyes glow, and felt fatigue creep over me.

"Wait, wait! Y-You don't understand! Guys, I'm innocent! Innoo…cenntt-" I heard my words slur as my eyes grew heavy, and I gave up to the form of escape that was sleep.


	28. Chapter 28: Lexi Cross Part 3

**Ok, so this is the last part of the 'Lexi Cross' Trilogy! I have to say, this was my favorite chapter to write! And, I know you're all going to hate me with that happens at the end, but I promise to make it up to you! It will be a redemption for Lexi in later chapters!**

**I was surprised to see all of your reactions to the new season, and while I'm still ranting about it, I think the initial shock has worn off, especially because of the Beast Boy anguish. Oh my god I wanted to hug him so badly ;^; and that moment between M'gann and him, AWWWW!**

**So, prepare yourselves for the angstiest chapter I have ever written, and yes you can yell at me. But, I hope that you don't stop reading because of it D: Please read, and enjoy!**

* * *

><p>As soon as Miss Martian's powers took effect, Lexi's body crumpled to the ground. Robin dove forward and caught her, not caring that the added weight caused his whole being to throb in pain.<p>

Robin glared up at Aqualad, "What did you do that for?"

"She still could be dangerous."

"But you saw her take out Slade! Plus, she freed all of you!"

"I think your forgetting who trapped us in the first place," Artemis seethed.

Aqualad stared calmly at the bird, "Batman's orders were to apprehend Lexi, and that is what we are doing."

"We are?" Kid Flash asked, confused.

"Not at first," The dark-skinned teen admitted, "I want to have her wounds healed before Batman interrogates her."

"Well, the sooner she heals, the sooner she can get out," Zatanna muttered.

Robin picked Lexi, bridal style, "Let's just go back to the Cave."

Miss Martian nodded, placing a finger to her temple. In an instant, the red Bio-ship flew down and opened its doors. Robin went first, brushing past his team and stalking up the ramp. He debated whether to hold Lexi the whole way there but decided that it would just be awkward for all of them, so he laid her down on the medical table that was set up after Aqualad's dehydration back in Bialya.

The whole ride back to the Cave was tense. Nobody really said anything out of fear that they would say the wrong thing. But, there wasn't a wrong thing to say. Every opinion was welcomed, even if none of the others agreed with it. The Team needed to act _like a team_. And it didn't help that Lexi's situation was driving them further apart.

Robin had never been more relieved when the Cave's hangar doors opened up. Not when Two-Face was crushed under his own coin. Not when Scarecrow was injected with his own fear gas. Not even when the Joker was locked up in Arkham Asylum. No, his biggest relief was from the sensation of the Bio-ship hitting the ground.

The instant the ramp was deployed, Robin rushed Lexi into the mountain, ignoring everything and anything until she was hooked up to a heart monitor and a brain activity machine in the Med Bay.

"For a minute there, I thought you were a Flash," Wally joked as he strolled into the room. He had a carefree grin on his face, but his green eyes were shadowed with doubt.

"I just want her to get better," Robin sat down at the foot of the bed.

"You really like her, don't you?" He asked gently.

The bird sighed, "Yeah."

"I guess it hurts that she nearly killed you," The ginger rubbed the back of his neck.

"Lexi isn't evil. Slade was just controlling her."

"That is what we are going to find out," Kaldur walked into the room and stood near the two boys.

Robin didn't even have time to feel embarrassed that his friend heard him, because the rest of the Team clustered behind him. The Med Bay was getting really crowded.

"And how are we going to do that?" Conner asked gruffly.

Zatanna offered, "I can detect if any sorcery was used."

"That is a great idea, Zatanna, but one that is not needed. M'gann," the leader turned to the Martian girl, "I want you to go into Lexi's memories to see if she betrayed us willingly.

"W-What?" M'gann stuttered, auburn eyes wide.

"Go into Lexi's mind and search for any signs of treachery," Kaldur said again.

M'gann bit her lip, "No."

The whole Team stared at her. First Artemis had defended Wally, and now M'gann was defying orders? What was going on?

"No?"

"I-I don't want to disobey you," she started, "but I don't want to go into Lexi's mind. It's like going into one of your minds. You wouldn't want me to go through your memories, would you?"

"No," Artemis kept her eyes on the ground.

"See? It's the same circumstances. Lexi obviously is a secretive person, and maybe has the right to be so. I don't want to be the one to figure out why. I don't want her to be mad at me!" M'gann burst out.

"M'gann, she tried to kill you!" Conner retorted.

"I don't care," she crossed her arms, strangely rebellious, "I won't do it."

Kaldur placed his palms out in a calming gesture, "Please, M'gann. I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't under these extreme conditions. But, I must, for this puts the whole future of our Team on the line. If you wish to help Lexi, this is the only way to do it."

"No pressure," Wally added with a cheesy grin. All of them were so focused on M'gann that no one turned to hit him.

The named girl closed her eyes and sighed, "Alright," She floated herself forward and pulled up a chair. Robin quickly scrambled out of the way.

"Thank you, M'gann. I won't ask you to do this again."

She nodded, then bit her lip again, "I don't know what I'll find, so everyone, be as silent as you can. Actually, could you all please leave? I don't-"

Robin cut her off, "We understand. It's like what happened with Garfield. Good luck." As he was exiting, the Boy Wonder cast one more look on Lexi and M'gann.

The green girl had rested her gloved fingertips on Lexi's temples, eyes closed and face a mask of concentration.

"I-I'm sorry, Lexi," He heard her say, then the door was shut, separating them.

* * *

><p>M'gann had accidentally read Lexi's mind. It was only one time, when Lexi had first joined the Team. She was very curious, and against her better judgment, extended her consciousness and tried to figure out who her new friend was.<p>

What she got wasn't what she was expecting. Usually humans' minds were opened and unsuspecting, leaving her to travel through the many thoughts and feelings of the person.

But Lexi's mind was completely unlike that. Instead of the waiting openness, she was stopped by a brick wall in her mind, cutting off access to anything she could've gleamed from it. There was no way in the tough barrier; Lexi had been trained in blocking telepaths. Whether this skill was taught or she just had it, M'gann wasn't sure. All she knew that Lexi would not give up her secrets easily.

But now, Lexi's mind was open; almost welcoming. Wasting no time, M'gann dove in, expecting to be flooded with images from her memories.

Instead, M'gann was falling through inky blackness, like that one Earth book she read: _Alice in Wonderland._

Well, this Alice was falling deeper and deeper, until she came to the end of the rabbit hole. Seeing the ground rushing up to meet her, M'gann desperately tried to float, but her powers seemed to escape her, so she landed with a large thud on her back.

Bracing her head with one hand, M'gann sat up, and her vision swam before her because of the quick motion. She waited for a few moments, then blinked. The ground underneath her felt soft. It was made of grass.

But, this wasn't the green grass of Earth. No, this grass was as gray as the suit of Batman. Looking up, M'gann saw a lighter gray sky above, and in the distance, a very dark gray city, with twinkling lights, shades lighter than the sky.

Where was she? Was this really Lexi's mind? The shades of gray were coating everything; not a speck of color anywhere. Once, her uncle J'onn told her that life was never black and white-there were always shades of gray in between. That nothing was easy to understand and define.

Lexi….did she really feel this way? That she was suspended in the indecisive point of the mind? Walking on the thin line between yes and no, second guessing every choice she has ever made?

There was more to Lexi than any of them ever knew.

M'gann got to her feet and turned around. There was the same gray landscape everywhere. Nothing seemed to change, even if she walked in any direction. It made her feel like she was in a painting. One creepy, dark painting, but a painting nonetheless.

Almost magically, the soft grass under her feet began to change. It completely disappeared to be replaced with a stone path-equally gray. It led from her spot all the way out of her line of vision, smudging into the horizon. Having no other lead, she threw up her hood and started down the path, her footsteps echoing in the motionless scenery.

The trail seemed to extend forever, but there was hope. The city that was once hazy in the distance had come closer. So close, in fact, that M'gann could see the details on the bricks.

"Lexi? Are you there?" Her voice was so unnatural. It was the only live thing in here. That, and her footsteps that had fell into a rhythmic pattern. One, two, one two.

She passed the first building, one that kind of looked like a guardhouse. It was shaped vaguely like a bat, and M'gann felt intimidation, but also a sense of security, like this building would do anything it could to protect her.

A shadow had dashed out from the bat building and swiftly climbed to the top. As she got closer, M'gann saw that it was a black and red bird-a robin. It looked at her, and she felt so many emotions running through her. She trusted this bird and felt safe with it. Like with the bat building, she got the sense that this robin would protect her from any evil. She also felt….loved by this bird. And she knew by the beating of her heart that the feeling was mutual.

The robin opened its beak let out a crackle of laughter, sounding very familiar to Robin the Boy Wonder. The bird looked at her with black eyes, white in the middle, then it flew away. M'gann wanted to chase after it because she liked the warm feeling it gave her, but she couldn't seem to step off of the stone path. So, she did the only thing she could do: continue walking on it.

Somewhere, not far away from the bat building, was a blinding white light. At first, she had to cover her eyes, but they soon adjusted. The light was pulsing in irregular beats, wanting M'gann to come closer to it.

Reaching out her hand, the edges of her fingers just grazed the glow before it consumed her. Immediately, she was assaulted with so many feelings that she lost count. Happiness, anger, sadness, distrust, loss, horror, and love all took their turn at filling her body before being rushing off in a flash to be replaced by a new emotion.

It was a bittersweet experience, as the Martian felt all the good and bad feelings that one could feel. At times she wanted to laugh, others she wanted to scream. But the dazzling illumination kept her in place.

It lasted for hours, or maybe just a few minutes, but eventually it let go of M'gann, and she felt dizzy and nauseous. She felt frozen, again, but at least the torment of emotions were no longer stabbing at her.

The gray vista had melted away, to reveal the customary sight of a green and blue Earth. The place where she was at was very familiar, and she felt like she went to this place a lot. There was a large, leafy tree near her, and her ears were filled with the soothing sound of a fountain.

A stray strand of hair fell into her eyes, and she reached up to brush it away. Halfway there, she stopped and stared at her hand. It wasn't the green hand of her Martian pretense, but the pale peach hand of a human. She crossed her eyes and got a good look at her hair. It wasn't auburn, but brown.

"Lexi!" Her head swiveled to the right, not by her own doing. Jogging towards her was a pretty girl. She was tall, lean, blonde hair with shadowed green eyes. M'gann loved this girl, but it was a different kind of love. A family love, not like the love she had with the bird. She looked up to this girl, whoever she was.

She felt her face break out into a smile as the girl neared. The blonde hair fell in front of the green eyes, but her companion had made no move to brush them away.

"Lexi," She wheezed, "You're so fast. I think you'll rival the Flash one day."

M'gann heard herself say, "Ew. I don't wanna be the Flash!" She spun on her heel and ran towards the large tree, "I wanna be Batman!" The voice she was using was so young and naïve.

"And pigs will fly!" The girl retorted good naturedly and overtook M'gann, climbing swiftly up the tree before coming to rest on the thickest branch.

She followed the girl up, expertly putting her hands and feet on the many holds the tree offered. She had done this many times, and knew exactly how to avoid breaking something.

The girl was leaning against the tree, one knee up and an arm resting on that knee. The wind picked up her hair and swirled it around, fully exposing her eyes. She sat next to the girl, legs swinging off the edge.

"I love this view," The girl confessed, looking out at the city of Gotham. It was moments like these when you forget about the crime and corruption that plagued the city. Sure, it was a terrible place to live, but it was the only place they ever knew.

"Addy, what's the world like?" She asked, turning her body to face the person next to her.

The girl-Addy-sighed, "Well, it's a big place. Many countries to see, many people to meet," Green eyes twinkled, "Maybe one day you'll see it all."

"What about you?"

Addy turned her gaze out towards the city again. Her voice was soft and painful, "I want to make a name for myself, sis. I want to make Mom and Dad proud of me."

M'gann cocked her head to the side, "They are proud of you, Addy."

She turned again and smiled sadly, "I wish I could believe that, Squirt. But that's something you'll learn later in life."

"Ok!" She said happily, not really understanding what she meant. But, she knew that Addy was sad, and she wanted to make her smile.

"Addy, make me a promise!"

"What's this promise, Lexi?"

"You'll always be happy!"

Addy stared at her, eyes guarded. While M'gann knew that this promise was fake, this young girl didn't know anything. Not yet.

"Alright Squirt, I promise."

No!" M'gann scooted closer, holding out her hand, "Pinky promise!"

Addy mirrored her movement, and their little fingers intertwined, "Pinky promise."

* * *

><p>Just as Addy broke away, M'gann was vaulted over into a new place. It looked like a little girl's room, with pink and blue and rainbows and unicorns that covered every part of the small space.<p>

She threw off the blankets that had her trapped on the bed, and sprinted out of the room. M'gann was powerless to stop her own body from running into the room next door. The brass knob was smooth under her hand, and she turned it. It refused to budge, though, so she pounded on the door.

"Addy! Addy! Wake up!" She screamed again and again. Eventually, the lock clicked and the door slid open, revealing a disheveled Addy.

"Lexi, it's like, eight o'clock. Can't you let me sleep?" She complained, rubbing one eye.

"No! Addy, it's Christmas! Come on, I think Santa came last night!" Without waiting for her sister, M'gann ran down the steps and into a room on the right. It was warm, and a fire blazed in the fireplace.

M'gann had studied the strange Earth tradition before. It had something to do with religion, and on December 25th, kids of all ages, all across the world, received gifts from the named "Santa Claus", who lived in the North Pole. It was all very silly to her, as it was impossible for a man to live in the cold conditions of the top of the world and break into every house that littered the globe.

Two people greeted her, smiling on the couch that was next to the fireplace. A fake Christmas tree was poised over in the corner, shiny presents laying underneath.

"Mommy! Daddy!" She ran into the man's waiting arms, and he gave her a tight squeeze.

"Merry Christmas, sweetheart," He crooned as he kissed the top of her forehead.

"Merry Christmas!" She smiled up at the man who was her father.

"Merry Christmas, Lexi," The woman echoed, then said, "Why don't you see what Santa brought you?"

"Ok!" M'gann hopped off the couch and sat in front of the tree, legs crossed.

"Why aren't you starting?" Her mother asked.

"I can't open presents without Addy!"

As if on cue, the blonde teenager dragged herself down the stairs. She gave her hair a shake before smiling and sitting next to her.

"Merry Christmas, Squirt," Addy wrapped her arms around M'gann briefly before turning to face their parents.

"Merry Christmas, Adelaide," Dad said with a warm smile. Addy hesitated, but then returned it.

"Now we can start!" Wasting no time, M'gann reached for the first box wrapped in pretty red paper.

As she opened it, M'gann realized that she was reliving the memories of Lexi. Of course, she couldn't change anything, but it was like she was one with Lexi. She knew what she felt and thought about specific moments.

The Christmas scene faded away, and was replaced by another memory. And another, and another. It mostly just evolved Lexi's family: her sister Adelaide and her two parents. But others were about school and friends and playdates.

There was one memory M'gann was particularly fond of. It was Lexi's first dance recital. She felt excitement and anxious at the same time while she peeked from around the curtain, watching with wide-eyes at the dancers who were more experienced than she.

But yet, she still had fun. She managed to remember most of the moves, leaping and twirling in her pink tutu. At the end, they all bowed and accepted the flowers that fell across the stage. She loved doing dancing, and knew she would be doing it for a long time.

* * *

><p>M'gann figured out that these memories were the good ones Lexi had. Which begged the question: where were the bad ones? She knew Adelaide ran away and her parents died. Where were those memories? Before she could think about it more, M'gann was fast-forwarded into a new time.<p>

"Hey, are you lost?" She looked up from her hunched position in the rain. A man was looking down at her. He was wearing a mask, his one eye sparkling with sympathy.

"N-No." She wiped the tears from her eyes.

The man crouched down near her, and laid a hand on her knee, "Then what are you doing out here in the rain?"

"Running away." Adelaide could do it, why couldn't she?

"Aren't your parents worried about you, dearest?" His voice was sincere and soft.

Even though she didn't know this man, she liked being called 'dearest'. "I don't have parents to worry about me."

The man placed his other hand on M'gann's shoulder, "That's terrible. I'm so sorry, dear. Why don't you tell me your name?"

"L-Lexi," She sniffled.

"Hello, Lexi. My name's Slade. And I want you to know a secret."

"A secret? Really?"

Slade nodded, "Yes. I know you have those powers of yours."

"You do?" Her eyes went wide.

"Yes. And that's nothing to hide. It is an extraordinary gift," His hand cupped her chin, "It makes you special."

"I don't feel special," She said unhappily, "I couldn't use my powers to save my parents."

"With a little practice, you can do anything."

M'gann stared up at Slade. She felt warm by his touch, and wanted to be with him.

"Will you help me?"

"Of course, dearest. I will make you the best Lexi you can be," Slade offered his hand, and she took it. When her legs stopped shaking, she hugged him with all her might. His arms encircled her, and she felt loved. Slade would protect her, would train her, would be just like a father. Slade would keep her safe.

* * *

><p>There were no more memories on Slade, and while M'gann wanted to see more, she was catapulted into present day. The next memory was how Lexi met Batman, and how she became the Element they all knew and loved.<p>

She felt superior as the super heroine, like she could do anything. When she dawned the blue mask, she could save lives. This could be the thing that would make all her mistakes right.

So, she accepted Batman's order to be apart of the Team, and it was the best decision she ever made. Flashes of moments with her friends flew by. Playing video games with Wally, training with Conner, conversing with Kaldur. There was a memory of the day she, Lexi, and Artemis went to the mall and got their nails done (was that how M'gann looked to all of them?). It was a good day for her, as she spent her time with her two best friends, laughing and feeling like she was on top of the world. It was such a transformation from being the broken little girl she used to be.

And then, there was Robin. There was a air of mystery as she thought of the Boy Wonder. At first. She hated his cocky attitude and his preference to annoy her. But ever since that day the Team had a little downtime, the day Robin tracked her down to her dance studio, those feelings began to change.

She couldn't exactly pinpoint what those feelings were. There was certainly a attraction to Robin, but still, she was scared of admitting any type of feelings towards him. At least, until she start living at a large house and sharing her secrets with him on top of the rooftop. He listened to her, and he understood.

He was perfect.

M'gann recognized the plain white walls of the hospital that Robin resided in when he was hurt in the fire. She squirmed internally at the uncomfortable chair she was sitting on.

Her hand was gripping Robin's, and he grinned up at her. M'gann felt her heart flutter and her cheeks flush.

"Lexi, thank you. You saved me," He said, blinking up at her.

"Anyone would've done the same," She told him, and in the heat of the moment, she leaned forward and kissed Robin on the forehead. She felt like she would faint because her lungs didn't seem to get air into them. The world was dizzy with this one little kiss, but she didn't want to let go.

But she did, and then Lexi's mind did a complete 180, and instead of the warm, good memories, she was battered and tormented with the horrible ones. She screamed and fought as she felt all the nasty emotions, but they consumed her. Soon, she was in that house again, but not in the little girl's room. This was a real teenager's room. The gray walls and brown furniture really looked like Lexi's sister Adelaide.

Speaking of the green eyed girl, she was angrily shoving stuff into a small bag, occasionally muttering to herself.

"Adelaide, where are you going?" She asked from her place on a chair in the corner

"Where ever I want," Adelaide said, not pausing from her packing. The older girl stuffed another shirt into the bag, "The point is, I'll be gone from this house, this life, this family."

"But won't you miss us?"

Adelaide halted as she passed her sister and ruffled M'gann hair, "Maybe you Lex. Only sometimes though."

"Why are you leaving?"

Adelaide sighed and said under her breath, "You ask too many questions," but then raised her voice, "You know Mom and Dad don't like me here, so I'll save them the trouble of kicking me out. Just you wait Alexandra, I'll make a name for myself some day. Maybe then Mom and Dad will finally be proud of me." She zipped the bag up and opened the window and proceeded to climb out.

"Addy! Wait!" She tugged on her sister's shirt.

"What, Squirt?" She asked, annoyed. M'gann buried her face into Adelaide's shirt, staining it with her tears.

"I'll miss you so so much! I'll think of you every day! I promise!"

Adelaide detached herself from M'gann, "Don't promise that. You don't want to think of me. Goodbye, Lexi," With that, she climbed out the window, leaving her alone.

A bunch of images flew through her mind at that moment. Her mother's tears and father's hard face. The calls, the searches, the same results. Adelaide had done it. She had truly made a name for herself.

* * *

><p>After that, M'gann cried a lot. Her mother cried too, but that was different. While both her parents locked themselves away, she had to keep going on with her life. It was extremely hard, since her best friend had ran away to worlds unknown.<p>

"Lexi?" She looked up from her homework. Her father was standing in front of her, bags prominent under his eyes.

"Dad? What are you doing here?" She asked. Even if she was ten years old she knew that her Dad didn't leave his office. Ever.

"You, me, and your mother are going out to dinner,"

M'gann raised an eyebrow, but said, "Ok."

So, she got ready and her parents took her to a very nice restaurant. The Martian girl didn't know how Earth families usually communicated when they got food, but she knew it wasn't supposed to be like this. It was very awkward. No one didn't want to talk, but yet she tried to engage her parents in conversation. They just brushed her off and continued to eat.

"HANDS IN THE AIR!" The whole place froze as the wall was blown. Two guys, all in black, stormed into the restaurant. Guns were pointed at everything that moved.

"FREEZE!" One guy shouted, but was lost in the chaos of screaming patrons. People ran every which way, like chickens without heads.

"Lexi, get under that table. NOW!" Her mother pushed M'gann under the overturned table, she and her father quickly following behind.

There were crashes as the criminals shifted through the now-empty building.

"Yo, Jo, is there someone that will scream for mercy?" One of the duo asked, and M'gann shivered with fright.

"Naw, man. This place cleared out faster than when my uncle went to the bathroom after Thanksgivin'!"

"Bummer. Well, at least we got some cash. Let's split."

"Dude, I got matches. Let's light this place up."

"Jo, I like your thinkin'. Do it." There was the unmistakable sound of a match being struck, and then the place was bathed in unnatural light. The restaurant was on fire!

M'gann pressed herself against the wall as the flames came closer. She expected the usual feeling of fatigue that came with it, but then she reminded herself that Lexi was a human, and she(in a sense) was Lexi. Her friend did not share her weakness for fire.

She watched her parents look at each other, almost sharing a telepathic conversation. Something was decided, because they both nodded.

"Lexi, honey, we want you to get out of here and find the police," Her father said, pushing her slightly towards the small opening by the table.

"W-What? I can't leave you guys!" She screamed.

"Please go, Lexi. We will join you shortly," Her mother begged.

"But-"

"GO, ALEXANDRA!" Her father roared, and gave M'gann a forceful shove. She stumbled out of the hiding place, and after taking another look at her parents, she dove out of the building.

Sunlight greeted her and she sucked in the fresh air. She spotted a fire truck and she ran towards it as fast as her legs could take her.

"Roger, we found one!" One of the firefighters said as soon as he spotted her. She willed herself to go faster, and found herself crashing into the man.

"Woah, slow down. You're safe now," He told her soothingly, but she shook her head as tears poured down her cheeks.

"No, I'm not! My parents are still inside!"

The firefighter's face turned grave, and he called to his comrades, "Go!"

"You'll save them, right?" M'gann looked up, pleadingly, at the firefighter.

"Of course, sweetheart. We'll find your parents." As soon as the last word left his mouth, there was a sickening crack. M'gann whirled around just in time to see the restaurant collapse on itself.

"NO!" She screamed, feeling scared and queasy. The ground seemed to welcome her, but she was caught quickly by the firefighter.

"We need medics! Stat!" She heard him say, but paid no heed. It wouldn't matter if she lived now. She had nothing. First her sister ran away and now her parents were gone, their lives snuffed out like one snuffs out a flame.

She was alone.

* * *

><p>A another time skip-something M'gann was getting tired off. After all, she's been through several right now. She wondered how long she's been in Lexi's mind, and knew that her body would be sore after leaning over her friend for so long.<p>

Her place now was in a dark alley, rain pouring down on her shoulders. Soaking wet hair clung to her head as tears blended in with the raindrops.

She was trembling so hard she could barely see in front of her. But, she knew what she had to do and couldn't be weak. She was trained for this.

The smooth barrel of the gun was shaking in her hand as she pointed it. Her target was a young man, laying on his backside and shaking as hard as she. Her mission was to exterminate him. It was her first one, and she didn't want to fail.

"Why are you hesitating?" Slade boomed beside her. He was patiently waiting for her to do the job, but she couldn't do it.

"Lexi, stop wasting time! KILL HIM!" She suppressed a sob as she clicked the safety off. She couldn't do it. Couldn't kill this man. He'd done nothing wrong as far as she knew.

M'gann lowered the gun, "I-I can't."

"CAN'T? I TOLD YOU THERE WAS NO ROOM FOR FAILURE!" Slade stalked up to her and wretched the gun from her hands. He expertly aimed and shot it, the sound almost making her throw up. It was so repulsing that M'gann had to look away from the bleeding dead man that laid before her.

Slade grabbed her arm hard and dragged her away, "You messed up. And now, you face the punishment."

She was crying to hard to answer.

* * *

><p>Other moments flashed by, like being yelled at by Batman for the first time. And it wasn't just any fight, she felt completely used at his untrustful nature. But that moment was quickly replaced by another, far darker memory.<p>

It was back when they had first encountered Slade, but no one knew it at the time. She saw him silhouetted by the destruction he had caused. She hated him for what he had done to her. To other people. He had took entire families and killed them with a stroke of a sword or the bullet of a gun. He would kill the whole world if he wanted to, and she would stop him no matter what.

Her resolve was crushed slightly when he had succeeded in killing another person. Volkner Makarov of Russia, whose party the Team had attended in order to protect him. What a conflicting mission it was for her, as she failed to protect yet another person from Slade's murderous ambition. And then there was the bit of capturing her and torturing her in the worst way possible: by torturing her friends with their worst fears. It was a terrible day for all of them, and they all agreed to never talk about what went down in those little compartment boxes.

Slade had set Robin's home on fire and almost killed him. And, to that extent, almost killed her. She cared too much about the bird to let him slip between her grasp; determined to not let him hurt any of them ever again.

Of course, that determination backfired when he dared to expose her secrets, dared to control her and almost kill her friends. Slade had done too much to her, and though she would never admit it out loud, she wanted him dead.

When that moment actually happened, M'gann realized that she didn't want him dead after all. He was the prime definition of evil..no he was worse than that, but she didn't want anything to happen to him. Slade raised her like his own after no one else would.

M'gann knew that she was nearing the end of Lexi's memories, but still she stayed and stuck it out. The last memory was of Robin draping his arm around her shoulder, and leading her back to the Team. With a wave of her hand, they were all free and clustered around her. She was confused because she didn't know what had occurred while she was enslaved, and scared because they were all staring at her with hate.

Wait, why was this huge feeling of weariness draping over to her? She looked over at herself, her _Martian _self, and watched her eyes glow bright green. Then, there was nothing.

* * *

><p>Robin heard a gasp from the other side of the door, then a faint, "It's done." Figuring it was a cue to go back in, he opened the door and went into the Med Bay, the others following him.<p>

Lexi and M'gann had the same pained look on their faces, but only the latter was breathing heavily.

"M'gann, what happened?" Kaldur asked as Conner took her hand.

The green girl frowned, "There were so many emotions. So many memories," She swayed a little, and Conner tightened his grip.

"You should rest," Zatanna said gently.

"No, I'm ok."

Kaldur said gently, "If you are feeling well, I would like you to retell what happened."

M'gann looked at the sleeping girl beside her, "Lexi is a more complicated person than any of us ever knew. She has been through a lot, both good and bad. After I successfully went into her mind, I was trapped in a gray scene," She continued to explain what happened to her in Lexi's mind. He kept his face carefully blank, but his heart sang whenever she talked about how Lexi felt towards him. Not that he should dwell on that right now. There were so many memories that shocked them. None of them ever knew she was apprenticed to Slade and almost killed a person. Thank goodness she didn't though.

When M'gann was finished, all seven of them were silent as they processed what they have been told. Their telepath was certainly right: There was more to Lexi than they ever knew.

"Did you find any evidence that Lexi betrayed us willingly?" Kaldur asked, finally breaking the silence.

"No. She seemed to be under some mind-controlling device."

"But, she still did all those things! Killed all those people" Artemis burst out.

"It was obvious she didn't have a choice," Robin defended.

"You always have a choice," She spat back. If the blonde archer was a cat, her mane would be bristling into spikes.

"I agree with Artemis. I believe that Lexi joining the Team was only to cover up her mistakes," Kaldur shook his head, "We can't trust her."

"What?" Robin spun around to face his leader, "Are you kidding me?"

"You're blaming her on past events?" M'gann rose from her spot.

"No. While her actions in her history have been rather…dark, she plainly lied to us about everything. In this Team, secrets are not welcomed."

"So what are you saying?" Wally said, his words meshing together at the end.

"That Lexi will be suspended."

"WHAT?" Robin exploded, "You can't do that!"

"Yeah, isn't that up to Batman?" M'gann bit her lip, glancing between Lexi and Kaldur.

"I am sure Batman will agree with my decision. And, you all appointed me leader, so I expect you all to follow my orders."

_Wanna bet? _Robin almost said, but instead protested, "Kal, this is the one thing that Lexi has, remember?"

"I know this well, Robin," The Atlantian glared at him, "But, I must do this for the good of the Team."

"And what _good_ will that do?" He retorted, but didn't wait for an answer. He stalked out of the Med Bay, anger radiating off of him. He would do anything to save her , but neither pleading on M'gann or Robin's part would change Kaldur's mind. The verdict had been reached.

Lexi was off the Team.


	29. Chapter 29: Two Runaways

**Sorry for updating late! I've been really stressed and had absolutely no time to write *.* So, I'm sad to tell you all that there are only four more chapters until Secrets is over! It seems so surreal, and I don't want it to end!**

**I really liked this chapter, even if it was typed up fairly quickly. But, I was so determined to post this and to stop all your anticipation!**

**So, please read and review, and thank you for everything!**

* * *

><p>A painful throb in my head forced my eyes awake. I tried to push it aside, tried to go back to sleep, but it demanded attention. I opened my eyes and sat up, bracing my head between my hands.<p>

Suddenly my stomach churned, so I twisted and threw up over the side of the bed. Someone must've expected this, because the contents of my stomach landed neatly into a bedpan.

Coughing, I wiped my mouth and laid back down, staring at the ceiling. I recognized it as the Med Bay, but I don't remember getting here. All I remember was…Slade! And M'gann knocking me unconscious! Then, there was this hazy period when I was asleep. What happened while I was out? Wait, scratch that; how long have I been out? It seemed like years ago when I saw Slade die right before my eyes.

Slade…What went on in his mind in those last few seconds before he was ash? Did his life flash before his eyes, just like the stories? Or did he just think of his sons Grant and Joseph, and how he failed them?

Hold on, I shouldn't even be thinking of him. I should be thinking of what the heck happened to me while I was asleep and mind controlled. Not necessarily in that order. I knew something bad happened, and that I was involved with it. Why else would my friends stare at me like I was a monster?

Maybe because I was.

With that thought, my stomach gave another flip of protest and I ended up throwing up in the bedpan again.

Oh my god. What did I do to them?

I couldn't take it. If I ever hurt them in that period…I would never forgive myself. I worked so hard to have a better life. I got it, and Slade snatched it away in one fatal swoop.

With the realization, I started crying. It wasn't your average tears-go-down-face type of crying. Oh, no. This was the lip curling, shoulder shaking, snot running ugly cry.

I'm pretty sure I was loud enough to be heard throughout the whole Cave, but no one came, not even when my cries were becoming hysteric. Either no one was home, or they were just ignoring me. I'd guess the latter.

After a good half an hour of crying, I finally decided I should face my team. Of course, I wasn't ready for it. I never would be. But it was better to get over with, like ripping off a band-aid. Pain first, but then it goes away.

I looked down at myself, and to my horror, I was still in my 'Slade' uniform. Disgusted, I peeled off the awful outfit, and chucked into a corner, making a mental note to burn it later. I then found some clothes deposited at the edge of my bed, some gym shorts and a blue t-shirt with some socks. I quickly put that on, and stared into one of the machines, trying to look at my reflection. I couldn't see it very well, but I knew my hair was a mess, so I secured it with a rubber band. I guessed my face was pretty red and blotchy, but I couldn't do anything about that.

Steeling myself, I exited the Med Bay and into the mission room, fully expecting to be pelted with questions when I was seen.

I saw my friends, with the exception of Roy(where did he go?), but all of their backs were turned. They were looking at the computer, but not conversing. Well, not out loud anyway.

When it became obvious that I had to speak first, I cleared my throat, "H-Hi.."

Slowly, they all faced me. Each person had the same blank face, the same thin line for a mouth. If I didn't know any better, I would think that they were all trained by the Batman himself.

Still, no one spoke. Some stared openly at me with detestation shadowing once playful eyes. I remember when those eyes had rolled back in laughter and had glowed with happiness.

Others stared anywhere _but _at me. It was impossible to tell what they were feeling, much less thinking.

"Uhm, I know that this is hard, and well, I just…" I trailed off when I couldn't explain what happened to me, but then burst out, "Someone say something!"

"What is there to say?" Conner retorted.

"Maybe an explanation on what happened to me?" I suggested, then added, "Maybe an explanation on why you all hate me now?" I couldn't stop my voice from shaking.

Looks were exchanged. "Lexi, do you know what happened?" M'gann asked slowly.

"Of course not! I was being controlled, remember?"

My despair grew when I saw doubt cross their faces, "You can't seriously think I did…whatever I did?"

"I don't know what to think," Wally said.

I bit the inside of my cheek, filling the metallic taste of blood fill my mouth. No one else said anything else, and I figured that they weren't speaking unless spoken too.

"What happened?" I asked fearfully, hating how childish my voice sounded.

Artemis didn't waste a beat, "You betrayed us. You work for Slade!"

I staggered back as if I'd been punched in the gut. Even that would've been better than the words I just heard.

"W-What? No, I don't!"

"Tell that to my bruises," Zatanna snarled.

Oh my god, this was worse than I thought. I actually betrayed my friends, my _family, _to Slade.

"You steal, you hurt, you kill," Conner summed it up with a glare.

Tears sprang up in my eyes and trailed down my face, "No..No! That's not me! You all know that I'd never hurt innocent people!"

The only one who hadn't spoken was Robin. He was carefully keeping his head down, eyes covered by black hair.

"Robin, you know that's not true. Tell them it's not true!" I pleaded, but he didn't budge.

I covered my mouth when it made a terrible sobbing noise. All of them just stared at me blankly, though Artemis had a superior smirk on her face.

"Please! Guys, you know me! You know that I'd never do anything evil!"

"We don't know you at all," Zatanna growled.

I took a step back, "No…"

In turn, Kaldur took a step forward, "Lexi, as the leader of this team, I have made a very important decision."

I swallowed, feeling the lump in my throat. My eyes slid to Robin again, but he still paid no heed to me.

"You are no longer a part of this team." And that was it. Open heart, insert dagger. In fact, this dagger was more like the sharpest sword a person could find. The Team was the only thing I had left. My savoir. And, now it was gone as well.

What more could I loose?

"Do not come back."

The universe just loves proving me wrong, doesn't it?

I guess everyone expected me to burst out into tears, to scream, to demand to stay. But I didn't. I could tell they were trying to figure out why, but I didn't even know myself. No more tears escaped down my face, mostly because I was too deadened to even think elaborate thoughts.

In the end, I merely nodded, "If you think that's best."

Finally, some emotion crossed my _ex-teammates' _faces. Shock made their eyebrows shoot into their hairlines.

I brushed past them to the zeta-tubes and programmed it to Gotham. I hoped I could use them still, even if I was not with them anymore. The zeta-tubes was extremely helpful when traveling across the country.

I turned around again to face them one last time. They were still staring at me, daring me to do something. And I did.

"You know, you guys were my best friends and being with on this team was the best thing that ever happened to me. I know I'm probably asking too much, but I want you all to never forget me and all the fun times we had together. Try not to think of Lexi the Traitor, but…Lexi the Teammate. The Element. The Friend," I gave them my best smile, because if they ever thought of me, I want them to picture me smiling. Not crying my eyes out, not trying to kill them. Just smiling.

Because I was Lexi Cross, and I would _never _stop smiling.

"Well, I guess this goodbye," I said solemnly.

When no replies where given, I faced the zeta-tube again and had it scramble my molecules one last time.

* * *

><p>As soon as the familiar sight of Gotham entered my vision, the dam behind my eyes broke. Tears ran freely, and I slumped against the wall, too weak to do anything. And why did it matter? My friends were gone, and with them, my will to live. My knees gave out and I sank to the ground, wrapping my arms around my legs and hugging them close to my chest.<p>

I raised my head and stared at the sky, the bat signal burning brightly against the dark clouds. Bats would soon start his nightly fight against evil, Robin at his side.

Batman. What did he think about all of this? Did he approve of my leaving the Team? Did he even know? Would he go hunt me down?

So many questions made the world around me spin. I couldn't stay here. I couldn't risk a meeting with Batman or Bruce. Or Robin. No, I couldn't see either of them. I needed to get away from Gotham. I needed to disappear.

Thunder rumbled overhead, and there was a crack of lightning. Raindrops pelted my face, mixing in nicely with the tears. What perfect weather for the situation. What better way to compliment miserable feelings than a thunderstorm?

Soon I was soaked, so I got to my feet. I stumbled my way to my house, tripping over my own feet like I was drunk. I probably could take a knife in my back and I would never feel it.

When I was safely inside my abode, I pondered about where I would go. I couldn't stay here, that much was for sure. But, the League would probably search for me everywhere for going AWOL, given they didn't know about what happened, which they probably did.

Maybe I should hide in plain sight? After all, it was what the Team was doing. Maybe I should go to Metropolis, or Star City, or maybe even Central City. It really didn't matter where I went, but how I would get there.

I didn't have a lot of money, so flying was out of the question. And I couldn't drive, so that was a bad idea as well. I didn't have any residents in any other states, but I did have…

No.

No.

_**No.**_

That option…I would never. I swore that I wouldn't do it. I couldn't, if I wanted to keep my sanity.

Well, that's pretty much gone, but still not an excuse.

Against my will, my hand reached into my pocket and grabbed my phone. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

I dialed the number and waited impatiently. I jiggled my foot up and down, listening to the ringing. One…two…thre-

"Hello?"

The voice came so suddenly that I almost dropped my phone. I gripped it till my knuckles were white, but I couldn't speak.

"Hello? If someone doesn't answer, I'm hanging up!"

"No, wait!" I practically shouted. I ran a hand through my hair to calm myself down.

"Adelaide, it's me. Lexi."

Nothing. It was a few minutes of shocked silence while she digested this. While _I _digested this.

"…Lexi?" She spoke finally, confusion dripping off of her words.

I smiled softly, "Yeah. Hi Addy."

Another silence, then she started talking very fast. She sounded a lot like Wally, "Oh my god Lexi! I didn't expect you to call! Oh my god, oh my god! It's so great to hear your voice! You sound so grown up! Oh my god, we have to get together! I missed you soo much! What have you been up to? Are you still living in Gotham? Oh, I should make reservations for a hotel…"

"Addy! Slow down!" I told her. Soon, my sister quieted down enough to say, "Hey, Squirt."

I laughed, "It's nice to hear your voice as well, sis."

"There's gotta be a good reason for you calling me. I didn't expect you to. At all."

"Well, me either," I admitted, then lapsed into my own silence.

"Lexi, what's wrong?" When she didn't get a reply, she hotly yelled, "Dammit, Alexandra! Don't hide things from me!"

"Where are you living now?" I asked in a small voice.

"Uh, Star City. Why? What's going on?"

"Gotham's become…unlivable. Can I stay with you?"

I could hear breathing on her end, "Lexi, I, uh, don't know what to say. It's just so sudden…"

"I know, Addy, and I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't under extreme circumstances."

She sighed, "I know, Squirt. Alright, I'll be there as soon as I can. I'm currently in Metropolis, so I'll be there in about two hours."

"Thank you. This is means a lot," I told her. And it was true. She was putting everything out for me, just like she used to. I actually missed my sister, a lot.

The stillness in my house told me that she hung up, so I carefully lowered the phone. Two hours. I had two hours to pack, to do what I needed to do. To say goodbye.

Was I ready? I'm not sure. Gotham City was the start of everything. My life, my pain, my superhero career. Can I really just give it all up?

I stood up. I had to give it up. It was the best thing for me now.

So, I walked up the stairs and went into my room. I packed everything: my clothes, my bedding, my art things. All of my personal possessions went into every bag that was available. When I was finished, it looked very bare. A sign of a new start.

Mira looked at me curiously as I dropped the bags at the edge of my door. There were a couple of things I needed to do before I left, so I went outside and got on my bike.

I pedaled furiously to Gotham Academy. Surprisingly, cars were parked in the building's parking lot. Huh, I always thought that after school was over, all the teachers went home and drank wine or graded papers or did whatever teachers do.

Philip Wilcox glanced up in surprise when I walked into his office.

"Oh, hello Lexi! What brings you here?" He asked.

"Hi, Mr. Wilcox. I just wanted to let you know I'll be out of town for a while."

"For what, may I ask? And how long?"

My brow furrowed, "A relative of mine died. We're going for the funeral, but I don't know how long I'll be gone."

Mr. Wilcox nodded, "Alright. We'll keep your homework and other important papers in a file for when you come back. I'm sorry for your loss."

Even though I faked that story, I still lost a lot today. Appearing sad wasn't too hard, "Me too, Mr. Wilcox. Me too."

* * *

><p>Now that was out of the way, but still our conversation plagued me. I said that I didn't know when I was coming back. Wasn't my exile permanent? But I still said I'd come back. Maybe, some where in my subconscious, I knew I'd come back to Gotham some day.<p>

Now for the hard stop. I haven't been to this place since that terrible day four years ago.

'Gotham City Cemetery' was painted in creepy letters onto the sign over head. I threw the hood of my jacket over my head as the rain increased. A totally clichéd scene of a bad thunderstorm over a cemetery. Next, there'll be ghosts flying around trying to scare me.

I walked purposefully through the rows, a lily and a white rose clutched closely to my chest to shield them from the rain. It was grave after grave after grave, and pain flew into my chest. I was done with death, but here I was.

I found the final resting place of my parents and knelt down on the ground before the graves, not caring if my knees got muddy.

The graves had water running down the smooth surface, filling the engraved letters.

_Olivia Lynne Cross_

_1973-2006_

_Daughter. Sister. Mother_

_Elliot Michael Cross_

_1968-2006_

_Son. Brother. Father_

I placed the lily on my mother's grave and a white rose on my father's. I then laced my hands together and looked at them straight-on. Why hadn't I visited before?

"Sorry for taking so long," I whispered. Look at me, talking to dead people.

"A lot of things happened since you guys left me. I had to grow up pretty fast. I learned how to cook and clean and do everything by myself," My mouth twisted into a frown, "But that's not the worse part.

"I became an apprentice to this evil man named Slade. At the time, I didn't know he was bad, because he made me feel so safe. He trained me, treated me as a daughter. But he made me do…things. Bad things. Things I will regret until the day I join you guys," I shivered, "That is, if I make it there."

There was another crack of lightning, "I ran away. Just like Adelaide. I ran away and swore I would never see his face-well, mask, again. And I didn't, but I fell into something better. I met the Batman, hero of Gotham City, and he took me under his, uh, wing."

I traced the name of my mother with my finger, "I never told you guys, but I have powers. I can control the elements. Pretty cool, huh? Anyway, I joined this Team of superhero sidekicks. Excuse me, _partners. _I went on dangerous missions and almost got killed countless times, but that didn't matter. Because I was saving people instead of hurting them. It was such a change and made me feel all warm and giddy inside. I hoped I could do it for a long time and eventually join the Justice League."

The wind blew harder, but not by my doing. Not this time, "I really wanted to forget about my past. But, Slade had a knack for remembering things. He came back, prepared to ruin my life again. If I took him down, he was going to take me down with him. I couldn't let him do that. I had just found a new family, and he wanted to crush them like a bug. He almost did, using me," My body shook with rage, "He got into my mind and started controlling me. He made me try and kill my friends! My best friends! And now, the aftermath is even worse. They kicked me off the Team. All the people who I loved, Robin included, they all think I'm a monster. And you know what the scariest part is? They're right."

A lump formed in my throat, but I forced the last words out, "Adelaide came back. She called me and now I'm going to live with her, so I'll probably never see your graves again. So now I'm saying that I miss you guys and that I'm sorry I was such a failure. Sorry for knocking myself off of that pedestal you set me on," I stood up, "Goodbye Mom, Dad. One day we'll be together again."

Overhead, the storm rolled away, the sky lightening with the moon hiding behind light gray clouds. I walked away from the graves, not giving them a second glance.

* * *

><p>When I returned home, I realized I still had something left to do. The place in mind was too far away for my bike, so I'll have to wait till Addy picked me up. I hoped she didn't mind, even though it was pretty much out of our range.<p>

A hard knock on my door jolted me out of my trance. I quickly opened the door, and there she stood. My sister, green eyes shining and blonde hair floating in the wind.

"Lexi!" She cried, smothering with a hug. I hesitated in shock; Addy was never one for physical contact.

"Hi, Addy," I choked out, "I missed you."

"And I you," She held me at an arm's length, smiling, "God, you have grown so much! Your hair is so long! And you're so tall! And fit! Jeez, sis, what have you been doing since…" Her voice faltered, and she broadened her smile to make up for it.

"Oh well, ya know. Dance has kept me in shape and all," I lied. I wanted to be a real superhero? Well, now I can check off 'hide identity from family' off the list. My sister wouldn't just have a cow, she'd have the whole barn if she found out.

"Honey, how much room do we need in the car?" A man strode into my house, his mouth smiling a little.

Brown eyes lit up when he saw me, "Oh, so you're the famous Lexi!" His smile widened to match Adelaide's, "I heard so much about you, I could probably draw an exact portrait!"

I gave a hesitant smile, "Really."

"Yup! Your sister's very fond of you."

"Really," I repeated, looking at Addy.

"Oh, hello Addy!" She smacked her forehead, and I cringed when I remembered M'gann doing the same thing, "Lexi, I would like you to meet my boyfriend, Jared. He lives with me. Ok, it's more like I live with him."

"Hi," He extended his hand, and I took it. Brown hair was close-cropped to his head.

"Nice to meet you," I replied politely.

"Ok, got everything?" Addy asked, looking at the bags that were piled up.

"I think so."

"Hey, Mira!" She squealed when the husky walked into the room. My dog cocked her head and advanced slowly forward.

"She probably doesn't remember you," I explained.

My sister smirked, "Well, she'll just have to re-remember. We're taking her with us."

I smiled. I wondered before where I would take Mira if she couldn't come along. But now that doesn't seem to be a problem.

"Alright, everyone take a couple of bags and then hello Star City! Oh, Lexi, you'll love it! It's much warmer than Gotham, and less crime-filled. Of course, there's still problems here and there, but we don't want Green Arrow and Speedy losing their jobs!"

I stared at Addy in shock. She was never an observant one, but she must've known that Speedy was now Red Arrow, and that he was solo. Surely she meant Artemis?

My heart hurt as I thought of the blonde archer and how her face had twisted into a snarl the last time I saw her. I missed her so much, all of them. Even Zatanna by my side would make me feel better.

As soon as the red van was packed, I turned to my sister, "Hey, we got to make a quick stop first."

Adelaide groaned, but Jared laughed, "Okay, Kiddo. Where are we going?"

* * *

><p>"Tell me again why we're at Bruce Wayne's house?" My sister asked again, tearing her eyes from the large manor.<p>

"House? This is a freakin' mansion!" Jared exclaimed, open mouthed.

"Because I owe him," I said earnestly. And that was true, I did owe him, "He practically saved my life. Don't worry, I'll just drop this off at the door and then we'll go to Star City."

"And how will you do that?" She stared skeptically at the large gates.

"I usually climb over. Bruce lets me do that."

Addy rested her head on the dashboard, "You are one strange kid."

I grinned at her and opened the car door. In my hand was the yellow package that contained my uniform. On top of it were two letters, one titled "Bruce", the other titled "The Team". The one to Bruce was an actual letter, the one to the Team was the drawings I did of them during my time at the Wayne Manor.

True to my word, I nimbly climbed the fence, using every handhold I could reach. Bruce really didn't make it easy, did he?

I booked it up to the top of the driveway, and set the package gently on the doorstep.

"Goodbye, Bruce," I whispered, gazing at the large door, "Thank you for everything you ever done for me."

I made my way back to the gate, climbed over the fence again, and was back in the car before you could say "Flash."

"Anymore trips I need to know about?" Jared asked good-naturedly.

"Nope. Let's go."

* * *

><p>The airplane lifted off the ground, and my ears popped. I let tears slowly trail down my face as the ground became smaller. I looked out the window and watched as Gotham City, my one and only home, receded into a hazy smudge.<p>

I tore my eyes away only after my city had disappeared from view, then faced forward again, ready to start my new life.


	30. Chapter 30: Saving Element

**Happy 30th everybody! Thank you for sticking with me this long ^^**

**Ok, this is the last chapter of Lexi's plot. Two more chapters after this! Are you guys ready for the finale?**

**I'm not terribly thrilled on how this came out. It was very anti-climatic with what happens. I hope I lived up to your expectations D: Sorry if I didn't!**

**But, last chapter's response amazed me. Really, I had no idea you all liked this story so much! I nearly teared up with all the nice reviews, so thank you so much for that. I couldn't have made this far without you guys!**

**And sheldon 2.0, sorry I couldn't incorporate your idea into the chapter, but I kept the motorcycle. Thanks for understanding.**

**Well, I'm just a big bottle of thank you's. Now read, and enjoy! **

* * *

><p>The mug was warm in my hands as the scent wafted into my nose. My fingers curled around the white porcelain, greedily taking in its warmth. I tipped back the mug and the liquid poured down my throat.<p>

"How is it?" Jared sat down to my left on the couch.

I swallowed another gulp and grinned, "It's great! What kind is this?"

"Oolong tea. Got it from Teavana."

"I didn't know you liked tea."

Jared sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah. My sister got me into it."

I laughed, "Just one trait you and I share."

"One of many, I hope."

"Yeah."

"So," He turned his body towards me, "what was Addy like as a kid?"

I shifted away from him, uncomfortable, "I don't think I should say."

Jared frowned, "I can handle anything."

"I know that, but it's not my story to tell. Addy will have to tell you herself."

"Uh, ok," He smiled hesitantly.

I switched the topic, "So, how long have you and my sister been, uh, together?"

He was obviously relieved, "Adelaide and I have been together for about two years. In the past few months, I offered for her to stay with me and she accepted."

Speaking of the devil, my sister plopped herself on the other side of Jared and wrapped her arms around him, "Oh Lexi, it's a fantastic story!"

I stared at her. My sister has changed so much since I last saw her, climbing out of that window. She never openly loved anyone, but I was an exception. I wondered what happened to make her so…_this_.

"I just arrived from Gotham by train, and he was there, looking at the time schedules."

"She looked so pretty standing there," Jared's eyes grew hazy, "And I knew I had to get her number."

"He introduced himself and asked for my number. I ignored him, but met up with him a few times."

He smiled, "She turned me down three of the four times."

Addy laughed, "Ah well, I was a bitter person back then. But we talked and I realized that I needed to stop being so untrusting," She gazed at her boyfriend with love glittering her green eyes, "He changed me, Lexi. Made me a better person."

I looked at the two seated next to me. The look they gave each other made my heart twist. I missed a certain bird more than I'd like to let on. But it wasn't like he cared about me anymore.

Something must've crossed my face, because Addy asked, "Lex? You ok?"

I didn't get a chance to answer, because the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" My sister jumped off of the couch, tripped, then continued on her way to the door.

I don't know why, but I found that extremely amusing. I cracked up, and I wasn't the only one laughing. Soon enough, Jared and I were holding our stomachs because our laughs hurt too much.

"She's a keeper!" I smiled at Jared, and he grinned back. I known him for about a week, and yet I felt like I knew him my entire life.

"Oh, really?" Addy's voice drifted from the foyer of their condo. There was a pause, and then her laughter echoed throughout the place.

"Who's at the door?" Jared asked, getting to his feet.

"Hey Lexi, someone's here for you!" My sister poked her head into the living room, "And you better not keep him waiting."

I frowned, standing from my spot. No one knew I was here, I made sure of that. Plus, no one cared about me anymore, so who would visit me?

I walked to the door, and I got the worst shock of my life.

"R-Robin?" I stuttered. There he was, standing in the doorway in his civvies. He shuffled his feet nervously.

"Lexi! Thank God you're safe!" Robin wrapped his arms around me and gave me a tight squeeze.

I pushed him off roughly, "What are you doing here?" My tone was harsh.

His face fell, "I'm here to bring you home."

I didn't reply, but turned to the house, "Addy! I'm going for a walk!"

"Oh, take as long as you need," I groaned at her flirty tone and slammed the door shut.

"You seem to get along with your sister now," Robin remarked.

I power-walked ahead of him, "So do you."

I saw him shrug out of the corner of my eye, "I'm chatty. It's apart of my charm."

"And what charm would that be?" I retorted.

He didn't answer that question, but instead called out, "Hey, wait up!"

I increased my speed, "Lexi, slow down!"

I abruptly stopped and turned around on my heel, "Why? So you can hurt me some more?"

"Wait, you don't understand!" He reached out and grabbed my hand. I scowled and snatched it back.

"Please, Lexi, let me explain!"

"Oh yeah?" My voice was cold, "Like you 'explained' to the Team that I was innocent?"

"Sit down," Robin plopped down heavily on the bench that seemingly popped out of no where.

I crossed my arms and sat down, not facing the bird. He watched me intently, shifting occasionally.

"Well?" I demanded, finally turning to glare at him.

"Well, where do you want me to start?"

"What happened while…while Slade was controlling me?"

He looked up from his shoes, "You went to work for him. You betrayed us and blew up the Cave. T-Then you strapped us down and tried to kill us."

I gasped softly, keeping my eyes on him.

"You told us that this whole thing was a sham. That you were never really our friend and that you always worked for Slade. You two collaborated to infiltrate the Justice League and bring it down.

"You then stole a nuclear blaster and that's when we were convinced that you were telling the truth. That you were always working with Slade."

I felt tears prick my eyes, which I loathed. Why couldn't I just be happy for once? I cried enough this year to water a whole garden.

"You seriously believed I was…evil?" I whispered.

"At first. But, the facts didn't add up. But, Batman sent us on a mission: to stop you from killing someone, but Zatanna disappeared and M'gann went to check it out…"

I listened intently as Robin told stories that horrified me to my core. No wonder I was kicked off the Team. The things that I said and done…

"Robin, I know what I did was terrible-"

"You didn't know," He defended.

"-but I hope you can forgive me."

"Lexi," He took my hand once again, "I already did."

"What? Why?"

He smiled, "Because. M'gann went into your mind and proved your innocence. Of course, it really didn't work.."

"What? She went into my mind?" I panicked, knowing my mind could be a scary place.

"Yeah, and told us everything about you."

"Everything?" I repeated, blushing when he nodded.

"I know that I didn't speak up for your defense, but Kaldur already had his mind set. No pleading would change his mind.

"But, after you left, we all did a little soul-searching and found out that you were always…you. Deep down, I think we all knew that you were innocent."

"So you came to get me back?"

Robin nodded again, "Yeah. We went to your house, but we found it empty. We searched all over Gotham, checked and re-checked the letter you sent Bruce, but came up with nothing. I got to say Lexi," He chuckled, "when you want to hide, you can hide."

"Runs in the family," I muttered.

"Eventually we found you. And now, here you are."

"Here I am," I replied quietly.

"So, come on! We gotta get you back to Gotham!"

I stood up from my spot, "Robin, has it ever crossed your mind that I don't want to leave?"

He stood up also, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I just reconnected with my sister. I haven't seen her in five years, and she's not the girl that ran away. She's different…and I want to get to know her more."

"You can't!" Robin cried.

I raised my eyebrow, "Why not? You don't control me."

He stared directly in the eye, "Would it help to say that _I _want you there?"

"You do?"

"Uhm, yeah." I felt my cheeks redden more, but I felt I couldn't tear away from his gaze.

"Lexi, I have something really important to tell you. Like, really important." I didn't realize he was still holding my hand until his grip tightened.

"Ok, then. Say it."

Robin didn't open his mouth, but instead reached up and gripped his sunglasses with his free hand. Before I could react, they were dropping on the floor and bright blue eyes were staring at me.

I stared back, pretty sure my mouth was open. I stretched out my hand and touched his cheek.

"You…have pretty eyes," I confessed.

"So I've been told," He smiled, and I knew who I was looking at.

"Y-You're-"

"Dick Grayson," Rob-Dick confirmed.

"I should've known! The Mathlete, the laugh, the Flying Graysons poster. You tried to tell me all along, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"Which begs the question: why?"

"Because," He said, "You're my best friend, Lexi. You deserve to know. Plus, I, uh…"

"You what?" I urged.

Dick rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm not very good at explaining this."

"What do you-" Dick wrapped his arms around me and pushed me closer to him. It was only a few moments before my brain registered that his lips were pressing against mine.

Time seemed to slow down and almost stop completely. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. Not Slade, not my sister, not even the Team. It was just Robin and I. I don't know how Robin was feeling, but my feet were walking on air and my head soared in the clouds. This was what I wanted all along.

"So," Dick said after he broke the kiss. With all honesty, I didn't want it to end, "No more secrets?"

I smiled, leaning my forehead on his, "No more secrets."

* * *

><p>"Have a nice time?" Addy said loudly when I came through the door.<p>

"Uh, Adelaide?" I said hesitantly, rubbing my toe into the ground.

"Yeah? Uh oh, I know that look. It says your guilty about something," She walked over to me.

"Look, Addy, it's been nice and all, but-"

"But you want to go back to Gotham." Jeez, was it Interrupt-Lexi-Day?

"Well… Yeah," I laughed weakly.

My sister placed her hands on my shoulders, "Lexi, I get it. I always did. When you called me and asked to move in, I was really skeptical about it. I knew that you could never really give up Gotham," She gave me a fierce hug, "Though it's been awesome living with you again."

"You'll come visit us, right?" Jared appeared behind Addy.

"Of course!"

"Oh, what about your stuff, Lexi?" She asked, glancing back at where my room laid, "You can't carry all of that on a plane. Plus, we can't afford it. Not for a second time."

"Oh don't worry about that," Dick appeared behind me, sunglasses on, "I'll get my guardian to bring it over, no problem."

One blonde eyebrow raised, "And how will he do that?"

"Never underestimate the power of money."

Addy cast a strange look at him, "Lexi, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Sure," I followed her into the kitchen, where she propped herself on the counter.

"What a weird kid that boy is. Who wears sunglasses indoors?"

I shrugged, "He does. I don't know why; it's just a thing he likes to do."

My sister suddenly trapped me in a vice-like hug, "Alexandra, take care of yourself and stay out of trouble."

I contained a snort. If she knew the dangers I faced on a daily basis…

"I love you, Lex. Never forget that. No matter how far apart we are," Her voice dropped into a whisper, "we're still together."

A lump appeared in my throat, making it hard to talk, "Oh Addy…"

"I'm serious, Lexi. Stay safe and in touch," I felt something wet dripped onto my back and I realized that my sister was crying.

"Adelaide?" I detached myself from her, "Look at me."

She raised her head, then laughed, "Oh jeez. I'm such a softie."

"I'll be fine, Addy. I'll call and everything. No need to worry."

"That's when I worry the most."

Jared poked his head in, "Are you two done?"

Addy wiped her eyes, "Yup. Time for Lexi to escape the nest."

_Wrong hero, _I thought with a internal laugh.

* * *

><p>"Later, Squirt," Addy hugged me again.<p>

"Bye, Addy," I said.

"I hope we can get together again," Jared said, also hugging me.

"Of course we will!" I promised.

"It was nice meeting you both," Dick smiled at the two, then said, "Come on, Lexi. Gotham's waiting."

I nodded, "Right. Bye!"

"Bye!" They both chorused, waving from the doorway. I waved back, then turned and jogged to catch up to Dick.

"So, Dick," The name was unfamiliar in my mouth, "where's the nearest zeta-tube?"

He turned around, "You thought we were taking a zeta-tube?"

"Uh, yeah? How else will we get back to Gotham City?"

"Well, I was hoping Bruce would come and pick us up…"

"Hoping? You have no way for us to get home?"

Dick suddenly started laughing, "I'm sorry! Your face is too funny!"

"What do you mean?" I glared at him.

"Of course we're taking the zeta-tube! I was just teasing you."

My face was bright red from embarrassment, "Dick!"

He started running, "Come and catch me!"

I grinned and started chasing him. Of course, this was Dick and he wasn't going to make it easy for me. He kept changing paths and going through near impassible places.

"Come on! I thought you were faster than that!" He taunted, his voice echoing somewhere within the alley.

"Oh, you want fast?" I bantered back, angling my palm in his direction. A blast of wind picked him straight off his feet and face-first into the floor. Putting on an extra burst of speed, I caught up to him and bent over.

"Ugh. No fair," Dick complained as he got to his feet.

"You never said there were any rules," I retorted, "Can we just go home now?"

He dusted himself off, "Sure. Follow me."

"Yeah, and look where that got me," I said, grinning.

"It got you to a police box," Dick told me after a few minutes of walking.

"There's a zeta-tube in a police box?" I asked.

"There's one in a phone booth."

"Touché," I opened the door, but froze. Was I ready to come back?

As if he could read my mind, Dick said, "If makes you feel any better, we can go together."

"Thanks," I breathed a sigh of relief and took his hand. He squeezed it reassuringly and nodded.

"RECOGNIZED: ELEMENT B08. ROBIN B01."

* * *

><p>The smoke was what assaulted me first. I coughed as the smog made its way into my lungs. Living in sunny and clean Star City, even for a week, can change your body. But still, it was Gotham. It was my home.<p>

"How will-"

A shot ran out, and I instantly ducked my head.

"GIVE ME ALL OF YOUR MONEY!" A man screamed. He appeared from the alley, a gun clenched tightly in his hand. On his belt I saw a knife gleaming with delight at the chance of slicing through skin.

"Lexi, run!" Dick grabbed my hand and dragged me away.

"You're not getting away!" The man called, running after us. We crossed streets and through similar alleys, but he was persistent.

"Get on!" He jumped onto his motorcycle, quickly turning on the engine. I threw my leg and slid on behind him, not even bothering to put on a helmet.

"Gun it!" I cried as two more shots hit the brick behind us. The roar of the engine drowned out any other noise, but I still saw the bullets strike the objects around us.

I don't know how, but the man kept apace. I couldn't hear, but his mouth screamed out some stuff.

"What are you doing?" Dick cried as I turned around in the seat. It almost took all of my concentration to stay placed on my toes, but I still managed to shout back, "Just trust me!"

I raised both of my arms and brought them down smoothly. Some buildings around us rumbled and rocks fell from the top. They piled around the man, blocking him from us.

He took one look at the rocks, then turned around, screaming, "Meta! There's a meta-human in Gotham!"

"Oh jeez," I muttered as I wrapped my arms around Dick's waist again, "There goes my identity."

"Wear sunglasses," He joked. I smacked him upside the head as he cackled.

After weaving through cars and people, we managed to get to Wayne Manor in one piece.

"Thought I'd never see this place again," I admitted as we walked up to the front door.

"Hey, never say never. Plus, the place is almost done being rebuilt."

"Master Dick! And Ms. Cross! I do believe that your mission was successful," Alfred said as Dick opened the door.

"Hi Alfred. It was, as you can see," He motioned to me, and I smiled.

"I do. Master Bruce is waiting for you both in the Cave."

Dick nodded, but I said, "The Cave? You mean, _the _Batcave?"

"Of course. What else would it be?" He asked as he led me over to the old grandfather clock.

"I thought this was for decoration," I remarked as he twisted the hands to 10:47. I wondered briefly about what was the significance, but it soon banished as a door slid open.

"Down you go," Dick pushed me lightly into the elevator, and it traveled down far beneath the earth. Good thing I wasn't afraid of caves.

The Batcave was amazing, but I won't go on in detail. Pretty much because the whole place was awesomer than my mind could wrap itself around.

And there, sitting in front of a large computer, was Bruce. He was in his uniform, but the cowl was pulled down. As usual, he had a scowl on his face.

"Bruce!" Dick called, and he turned. His eyes widened slightly as they landed on me, and his face was, well, less scowly.

"Lexi, you came back." It wasn't even a question.

I grinned at him, "Was there ever any doubt?"

"A lot, actually," He rebuked, and the smile dropped from my face.

He quickly scanned over us, "You traveled light."

"Oh yeah, about that," Dick rubbed his neck, "I need you to pick up Lexi's stuff from Star City."

"Couldn't take it by zeta," I explained hastily, "My sister would've gotten suspicious."

"I see. Well, that can wait. Right now, you have something important to do."

"What's that?"

Bruce produced a yellow package and stood up. I instantly recognized it as the package that contained my uniform.

"Suit up."

* * *

><p>Taking a deep breath, I slid the mask over my eyes. I surveyed myself in the mirror, noting how it was still in the same condition I left it in. I'll have to thank Bruce for that later.<p>

I took another large breath, then opened the door. Both Dick and Bruce were waiting for me, both also in their uniforms.

"I got to say: it feels good to be back in this," I declared with a silly grin on my face.

"I'll say. But is it still good to fight in?"

Bruce answered for me, "It is. I took care of it."

I nodded, and the three of us walked over to the zeta-tube.

"Are you ready?" Dick asked. He grasped my hand for a moment, but it dropped. I glanced up at Bruce, but he didn't seem to notice.

"I don't know," I admitted. In fact, I was terrified. How would the Team react to my homecoming? I bet their reactions weren't going to be as heartfelt as Dick's was.

"You'll be fine," Bruce said reassuringly. We both looked at him in surprise. The Batman was actually brightening the mood, which is something to fear. What was going on with him?

"I hope. Ok, let's go." I said firmly, then walked into the glowing light.

* * *

><p>It's only been a week, but I felt so nostalgic when I saw the Cave's interior. The same rock walls, same concrete floor. It was like I never left.<p>

Also the same: the Team running into the mission room at the sound of Batman's arrival.

"Batman! We came as soon as we heard!" Wally called, him being the first into the room.

"Is she really here?" M'gann asked shortly after.

_This is it, _I told myself, _No sense in hiding myself any longer._

I stepped out from behind Batman and Robin. I waited for a moment as gasps of astonishment echoed around the room.

"Hey guys. Long time, no see," I said cheerfully. I was so happy to see my teammates again. Even more so since they weren't scowling or yelling at me.

In a flash (hah) Wally ran over and bear hugged me. Everyone followed suit, even Conner.

"Lexi! I'm so sorry!" Artemis said near my ear. She wasn't crying, but sounded pretty guilty, "It was all my fault!"

"No," Kaldur said, "It is mine. I falsely accused and banished you. For that, I am sorry."

"You're all wrong," I said forcefully, "It was Slade's. And now he's gone, so we can go back to being friends, right?"

"Right!" Zatanna surprised me with a cheerful laugh. I thought she hated me.

"Never leave us again, Lexi!" M'gann sobbed.

"I won't. I promise."

"I'm sorry too," Conner said unexpectedly.

"We're all sorry," Robin put his hand on my shoulder.

Emotions suddenly overcame me, and tears stared pouring out of my eyes.

"Oh gosh," M'gann fretted, "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. Just overwhelmed."

"Well, you should get whelmed."

"And traught," Artemis added.

Wally chimed in, "And feeling the aster."

"Hey!" Robin protested, "Only I can butcher the English Language!"

Everyone burst out in laughter at Robin's pout. Tears appeared in everyone's eyes now, so we all laughed harder at each other.

And the best part, I didn't feel so alone anymore. Actually, I think I never felt so warm and fuzzy inside. I found my sister, kissed Robin, rejoined the Team, and got my friends back. There was nothing that could ruin this moment. Nothing that could make this happy feeling go away.

Of course, nothing ever stayed this good for long.


	31. Chapter 31: All Together

**I am so so sorry about this late update! I have no excuse other than my terrible procrastination! I'm so sorry for keeping you all waiting!**

**So, we got some good news and some bad news. The good news? We are so close to 100 reviews! I'm really thankful about that. So touched beyond words! Now, who's gonna be lucky 100? :D**

**Bad news? Secrets has only one chapter left D': I know, I'm sad too. But I'll save my huge corny and heartfelt AN for next chapter. Thanks for reading and please review! (Or is it called 'commenting' now?)**

* * *

><p>Superman was standing at the podium, straight faced to the reporters, "The Justice League was formed for two reasons. First, as an acknowledgement that no single individual, no matter how powerful, can solve all the world's problems alone. And second, to uphold the values of truth, liberty, and justice. That, uh, last one's even in the name," Superman added awkwardly, receiving a laugh from the crowd below him.<p>

The whole Team was gathered in the backroom, watching the induction from a large TV screen. Christmas was great this year - everyone gave in to my pleading about a 'Team Secret Santa'. I had picked M'gann, and after a week of searching and late nights, I was able to put together a scrapbook of pictures of us and the Team. She loved it.

Artemis had picked my name from the hat, so she gave me (as a joke) a Batman shirt. But the real gift was a pair of dance slippers. I think I crushed her ribs with the hug I gave her.

Robin, regardless of the Secret Santa, had given me a necklace with a small diamond heart for Christmas that was settled on my chest. His gift I had to think about for a while. What do you get the boy who has everything? Answer: Something from the heart. Since crafty stuff was my forte, I made a picture frame for the picture someone took of us at Gotham Academy. I thought it was lame, but he assured me he loved it.

"These five heroes have sworn to uphold those values," Superman dragged me out of my thoughts.

The screen flashed to the blonde reporter, who said in a breathy voice, "You are watching live coverage of the Justice League's induction of its five newest members. Looks like the entire League has shown up to welcome the new blood. Everyone from Batman to Captain Marvel."

"I'm glad they didn't kick Billy out," Wally said, "And I love the fact that there's a ten year old on the League!"

We all glared at the speedster. Leave it to him to blurt out our secrets.

"There is?" Our newest member, Raquel, asked in disbelief.

Robin elbowed Wally in the ribs, "Way to keep a secret, genius."

"Hey, she's on the Team now, right?"

The reporter cut in the argument "Superman is now handing out official League Membership cards, starting with Doctor Fate," Zatanna looked at the ground, "The Atom, Plastic Man, and Icon."

"You know, I was the one that convinced Icon to become a hero in the first place. I should be outside celebrating with him, not hidden away in here," Raquel informed angrily.

"Welcome to our world," Kaldur told her, not unkindly.

"The world of being a sidekick," I added.

"Well, I suppose there's an upside to," Raquel glanced at Kaldur flirtatiously. I wanted to roll my eyes, but I knew that was a bit hypocritical of me; with my relationship with Robin and everything.

"Finally, Green Arrow welcomes his former protégé, Speedy, now known as Red Arrow, to this roster of heroes," The reporter continued.

Wally cheered, "Way to go, Roy!"

"At last he has his wish," Kaldur said with a slight smile.

"The first one of us to make it," Robin added.

I put in, "At least we don't have to hear his berating anymore."

"I'm Roy Harper and I hate everything expect my bow," Artemis said in a low imitation of the ginger. We all laughed.

"No one will call him a sidekick anymore," Robin continued.

"Wait," Raquel butted in, "since when was being a sidekick a bad thing? You sidekicks were my inspiration!"

"Aww, I'm touched!" I told her with a smile.

Robin tried to explain it to her, "Well, you see, six months ago-"

He was interrupted by a beeping on his wristwatch, pulling up a hologram as the reporter on TV finished up the coverage.

"Cheshire is on the move."

We all looked to Kaldur, an unspoken question hanging between us.

He sighed, "We shall pursue."

* * *

><p>We suited up and the Bio-ship brought us to the Smoky Mountains.<p>

"A-Are you sure it's her?" Artemis asked worriedly, "I mean, are you absolutely positive?"

"See for yourself," Robin projected up some video, "This is security footage from Nashville Regional airport. Facial recognition confirms that's Jade Nguyen. But, you've seen her without her mask. What do you think?"

"It's Jade," Artemis confirmed, "Cheshire."

Aqualad nodded, "Agreed. But focus on what she carries. Is that the case you saw in New Orleans? The one that got away?"

"Yes," The blonde looked down.

"Okay, I'm guessing from the mug-shot that this Cheshireis the bad guy," Rocket said, "But what's so important about that case?"

"Remember the Injustice League?" Robin brought up a photo of them.

"The group with no creativity?" I asked.

"And their giant evil plants? Uh, yeah," Rocket said with a bit of attitude.

"The Team and the League put them in prison," Aqualad explained, "but their allies still scheme. Whatever is in that containment case seems important to their plans."

"We had a chance to grab it in New Orleans, but _someone _screwed up," Kid Flash looked pointedly at Artemis.

"Hey," I defended, "everyone screws up. It's what makes us human."

"You would know," The ginger shot back, and I recoiled slightly.

"Approaching Cheshire's jet," Miss Martian gasped slightly at the sight before us. The plane that Cheshire had taken was crashed, "Looks like there were no survivors."

Artemis looked away from the terrible crash.

The Bio-ship parked and we dropped down to investigate the scene, I helped by shifting the snow to look for people, exposing the frozen ground.

"How come Homeland Security and the ANTSB aren't all over this?" Kid Flash wondered out loud.

Robin replied, "Cheshire's ID was a League Alert. Authorities didn't pick it up, and her jet didn't follow the flight plan. Flew under the radar, _literally._ But the Watchtower auto-recorded the jet and tracked the crash."

"Then why isn't the League here?" Rocket asked.

"Because our Boy Wonder has some mighty hacking skills and arranged to get the alert first," Zatanna said. I almost gagged at the look she gave him. Robin looked at me and smiled, assuring me it meant nothing.

"And because Cheshire and that case represent our unfinished business," Aqualad added.

I walked around the plane, eyes scanning the crash. It didn't seem right, how it flew under the radar. Maybe it was my inner Batman talking, but it didn't add up.

"This whole crash seems too planned," I said to no one in particular.

"And where are the bodies?" Superboy asked.

"Here's one," A voice sounded up above us. You didn't have to look up to know that there was a grinning cat on the cliffs.

"And it is stunning," Cheshire purred.

Another voice called from the peaks, "I am flora, not fauna. I am foliage, not trees. What am I?" It was the Riddler, another criminal from Gotham. Not as psychotic as the Joker, but pretty close.

He snapped his fingers, and stands came bursting out of the cliffs' tops. They looked like the ones Slade used, but they emitted some kind of green energy, trapping us in a force field.

Riddler teased, "Come on, you can get this! I am shrubbery, not grass. What am I? I..."

"Ambush," Robin replied darkly from my side.

"Didn't you think we'd be tipped that you were on Cheshire's trail?" God, The Riddler's voice was annoying. He sounded exactly like the dorky kids do on TV.

"We're tried of your interference, kiddies. This is the endgame, ordered from above and executed by master strategist, moi."

_Miss Martian, is everyone linked?_ Aqualad asked, taking a fighting stance.

_Yes, _She replied.

_Go! _He commanded, and we jumped into action. Mammoth and his minions jumped down to the ground.

"Ekahs eht ebolgwons!" Zatanna commanded, and the whole force field was trapped in a blizzard. It was a great move to blind the enemies, but it blinded us as well. I narrowed my eyes against the wind and wished I tied my hair up earlier.

Taking advantage of the snow, I sent icicles that pinned two minions to the wall, slamming their heads against the rock and knocking them unconscious.

Aqualad gave Superboy the order to take down the stands, and he obliged. Artemis was fighting Cheshire on one side, arrows flying and the sound of metal meeting metal echoing through the air.

I was preoccupied with the minions, deflecting kicks and gadgets, sending a blast of wind there, a kick of fire there, occasionally trapping people in rock tombs. Eventually one person got a kick to my stomach, and I went skidding across the snow. I bit back a hiss of pain from the ice and buried the man in an avalanche.

A guy caught Rocket in this weird red electric thing, but Aqualad came to her rescue, but was sunk in…_mud?_

_Sb, y-you're flying! _Robin's astonished voice bounced in my head. I looked up, and true to his word, Superboy was flying around like Superman.

I didn't have time to question this, because I had to dodge a red blast aimed right at me. I backhand springed and used my momentum to punch him in the face.

I glanced back at Superboy and saw him pounding the crap out of Mammoth with Kid Flash's speed. To my horror, the cliff above him started shaking and collapsing right to where Artemis and Cheshire were fighting.

_Artemis! _I tried to warn, but she was too busy to notice. I wanted to help her; I knew I could, but I had to deal with these goons. I could only pray she got out in time.

I saw Robin take down Shimmer, and there was only Riddler. I scaled the cliff just in time to hear Zatanna say, "Tekcajthgiarts!" Binds wrapped around the man.

"No…No! I'm not the straightjacket type! I'm strictly Belle Reve, not Arkham!"

Zatanna said in a irritated voice, "Gag mih." And he was shut up.

Rocket flew over and asked, "Is it always like this?"

"Yeah, pretty much," The black haired girl replied.

"The life on the Team," I called and both smiled.

"Ekam ti pots gniwons." The wind stopped swirling and the snow faded. I'm pretty sure I was the only one with a red face.

"Thanks. I'm pretty sure I got frostbite," I told Zatanna with a slight smile. She, Rocket and I made our way down to the crashed plane where the rest of the Team gathered. We tied up all the bad guys, boarded the Bio-ship, and flew away to Mount Justice.

* * *

><p>"Tell me if this sounds familiar," Batman glared at us. "You hacked League systems, disobeyed protocol, endangered your lives, and your initiative resulted in the capture of three escaped felons, proving that Strange runs Belle Reve as a cover for criminal activity."<p>

We all tensed slightly, waiting for the verdict.

Batman showed us his rare smiles, "Well done."

The whole Team straighten themselves in surprise, glancing at each other. Did he just congratulate is?

"And then there's this," The Dark Knight showed us the case we recovered from our mission, "Bio-technology integrated with some form of nano circuitry."

Icon picked up one of the little pink stars, "Though I am unfamiliar with this species, the bio component is clearly not of Earth."

"We'll take it to the Watchtower for further study," Batman and the others turned to enter the Zeta-tube.

Raquel ran over to her mentor, "Congratulations on the League thing. Sorry I skipped out."

Icon smiled a little, "Yes, well, we both seem to have found teams that suit us."

Black Canary laid a hand on the man's shoulder, "We should go too. Don't want to miss the League's induction party."

When they were gone, Robin said, "You realize we were set up."

Kaldur nodded, "Yes. Cheshire and Riddler were tipped and ready for us."

"Not the mole thing again!" Artemis exclaimed.

"Mole thing? _Again?_" Raquel asked.

"You don't really need to-" I said quickly.

"We had intel that there was a traitor on the Team," Wally cut me off, and I sighed deeply.

"Namely Artemis, M'gann, or me," Conner butted his way forward.

Kaldur rested his hand on the clone's shoulder, "It is more complicated than that."

Conner shrugged him off and walked away.

"But your recent behavior does concern me. You attack on Mammoth nearly got Artemis killed."

"How about some pizza? I'm starved!" I said nervously, but everyone was focused on him.

Suddenly, Conner bent over, bracing his head with his head. But a moment later, he straightened up again.

"Superboy," Kaldur said seriously.

"There's something I need to do. Something I need to tell you. Last month, on Thanksgiving, I went back to Cadmus. I found a few things out. When I was cloned, only half the DNA was Superman's. The other half was human."

We all reacted a little in surprise, and Conner continued, "That's why I don't have, will _never _have, my full Kryptonian powers."

"You sure? Because you sure seemed to have them today," Robin remarked.

"I've been using these," He pulled up his sleeve and showed us a black thing that looked like his shield, but without the S, "Shields. They suppress my human DNA. I get the flight, the heat vision, but I think I also get angry. Well, angrier. I'm sorry."

The look on his face made me want to hug the life out of him. I ended up just giving him a sympathetic look.

"Where did you get those?" Kaldur questioned.

"From my human father, Lex Luthor."

Eyes went wide and eyebrows were raised. I so did not see _that _coming.

"Lex Luthor is your…dad?" Robin asked, dumbfound.

"He summoned me to Santa Prisca," Conner informed, and looks were shared all around.

"Uh, listen," Artemis started, "Superboy's not the only one suffering from bad DNA," She turned and brought up pictures of Sportsmaster, Cheshire, and the retired villain Huntress, "My mother is Huntress, an ex-con. The rest of my family aren't even _ex_. My dad's Sportsmaster, and he's sending my sister, Cheshire, to fly me to Santa Prisca too."

So that's why she was worried about Cheshire earlier today, and always tense whenever Sportsmaster was brought into conversation. How horrible it must be to fight against your own family!

"That's why-"

"Yeah," The archer interrupted Wally, "I was so desperate to make sure none of you found out."

"I knew," Robin said out of the blue, and we all turned to look at him, "Hey. I'm a detective. But it never mattered, you aren't your family. You're one of us."

"Yeah," I stepped forward, bringing Artemis into a tight hug, "It doesn't matter what bloodline you come from. You still are my - _our _- best friend."

"Thanks, Lexi," Artemis released me and smiled softly.

Wally also came over and laid a forearm on her, "So, who's next?"

I held up my hands and smiled weakly, "You know my secrets."

"No, Kaldur said, "we do not."

"Sure you do," I said, confused, "The whole Slade thing?"

"Wait a minute," Raquel spoke up, and I winced. This information must be making her head spin, "What _Slade thing_?"

"A tale for another time," I said quickly.

"We still do not know your side of the story," The Atlantian explained.

I hesitated, looking everyone in the eye. Robin nodded a little bit, encouraging me.

"It's kinda hard to explain," I rubbed an arm, "It was just after my parents died. I was lost. Even worse: I was alone. I needed someone - anyone, really - to come and whisk me away from the horrors that had happened to me. Slade back then was comforting and kind, and I honestly looked up to him. He was _alive _and he was _there_. For the first few months, he was as loving as my own father, but it didn't last for long. He pushed me to the limits and beat me whenever I failed." I took a small breath, "It was brutal, but I couldn't seem to leave. Something inside of me made me think that he was soon treat me the way he first did. But that wasn't the case. I only got away from him earlier this year. January or February, maybe. I try not to linger on my past."

Robin did a Wally and laid his hand on my shoulder. I smiled a little, "So now you know."

"You are…incredibly strong," M'gann said. I looked at her in surprise; since the Martian had been in my mind, I figured she already knew this stuff.

"Just a little rough around the edges," I joked and quiet laughter filled the Cave.

"_Now _who's next?" Wally asked again.

M'gann hugged herself slightly, "I am."

"I swear I was kidding!" The ginger held his hands up.

"Queen Bee's been blackmailing me. She wants me in Santa Prisca too."

"Blackmailing?" Kaldur repeated, "How?"

"She knows my…true Martian form."

"Bald M'gann?" Robin asked, and I recalled the form we saw in the Logan house, "Who cares-"

"No," M'gann said, shocking me. That wasn't it?

She took a deep breath and started morphing. But not in a usual human, but a humanoid-like thing that was white, hunchbacked, and had long arms with two claws at the end. I blinked and stepped back in surprise, because that was the monster I saw in Qurac when we were fighting Psimon!

"Woah," Raquel breathed.

_I realized you would never accept me if you knew what I really am, _She hugged herself again.

The tone of voice broke my heart, and I stepped closer to reassure her.

"M'gann, did we truly seem so shallow?" Kaldur asked.

_I__ couldn't take the chance, _M'gann said sadly, _Being a White Martian among the Green on Mars, I endured constant rejection. I couldn't face that from-_

"From me?" Conner asked, going near her and taking her hand (Claw? I have no idea)

_I've known since we mind melted last September in Bialya._

_But that was before we even became a couple! We didn't you say anything? _She asked.

_I'd figure you'd tell me when you were ready. _He assured her.

"Now what? All the secrets are out. What do we do?" I asked. M'gann morphed back into her human form.

"We shall hide in the shadows while Artemis, Conner, and M'gann follow through with their plans on Santa Prisca," Kaldur ordered. Nods were shared all around with bright eyes. Now that there were no secrets anymore, we can function completely as a Team and as friends. I don't know about the others, but I couldn't wait to start.

* * *

><p>I perched in one of the trees, watching what unfolded beneath me. The cover was blown and we were waiting for the signal.<p>

_Guys, reinforcement time, _Artemis called and we all sprang from our hiding places. Kid Flash and I handled the thugs shooting at Miss M, while Superboy was battling with Blockbuster. The others were dealing with their own thugs or super-villains.

Robin and Zatanna were being pounded by Bane, but then Zee shouted out "Etarec Nibor snoisullI!"

I laughed out loud as an army of Robins charged toward the large man.

"Gotta love an army of me!" He shouted, and I directed my attention to the thugs rushing towards me. I smirked and drew water from the trees, smashing them away.

Rocket and Aqualad had gotten hold of the tech the enemies were using, so they dealt with the guys still standing, sinking them in mud.

We all regrouped near the Bio-ship, smiling with victory.

"It _is _always like this!" Rocket exclaimed as Kid Flash and Artemis came over.

"Told ya," Zatanna said.

"Hey, disaster adverted. Feeling the aster," Robin smiled.

"Agreed. This has been a good day," Aqualad said.

I grinned, "Just another day for us sidekicks."


	32. Chapter 32: Young Justice

**So, this is it. The last chapter of Secrets. I can't believe it has come this far! I remember sitting in my room, typing up the second chapter and wondering if this story would ever become of success. And it did! It's been one crazy, emotional ride, but I wouldn't have changed it. Not once did I ever think about abandoning this story, because it gave me such joy writing each chapter. Definitely one experience I won't forget.**

**What's next? Well, I can't really answer that. I'm not thinking of a sequel right now, because I don't know exactly know what I would do for a sequel, but fear not! I'm going to make a three or four-shot about Lexi in _Invasion,_ which I'm super excited about. So, this isn't the end of Lexi...for now. And, for my own writing, I am no where finished! I'll be writing one-shots as they come into my brain and maybe some chapter fics down the line. _Secrets _will be edited and some chapters will be going through major rewrites, so check out for those!**

**And, last but not least, thank you. The reader. The reviewer. The alerter. The favoriter. Or even the ghost. To the people who have been there since day one, or the people who are just joining us now, THANK YOU! I honestly could not do this without your overwhelming support. Whenever I got a new review or alert or favorite, it just made my day. You people are so incredible and I hope you continue to support me with my writing journey. Please accept my internet hugs, because I know you all deserve it. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.**

**Are you ready for the last chapter? Because here we go!**

* * *

><p>"We have reason to feel proud of yesterday's victories," Kaldur said as we walked down the hallway, "But one thing has not changed."<p>

"Somehow the bad guys are still getting inside intel about us," Robin continued.

Wally defended, "Yeah, but at least we know none of us are the mole."

"That's correct," Bats agreed when we reached the mission room. And then….

"The mole was Red Arrow."

_BOOM! _The bomb was dropped.

"Roy?" Robin questioned.

"No way!" Wally instantly denied.

Kaldur even spoke up for the solo vigilante, "Batman, that cannot be. He was Green Arrow's protégé. We have all known him for years. "

At this point I pictured Red Tornado frowning. Ya know, if he could frown, "Unfortunately, the Roy Harper we have known for the past three years is another Project Cadmus clone."

"We've learned the real Speedy was abducted and replaced immediately after becoming Green Arrow's sidekick. The clone was preprogrammed with a drive to join the Justice League. Which is why he was so angry over any delays to his admission, and why he refused to join the Team. This Roy Harper had no idea that he was a clone or a traitor. And his subconscious programming drove him to become…_League worthy_," During his explanation I wondered if he ever took a breath, "So he struck out on his own as Red Arrow. When he was finally admitted, his secondary programming kicked in, and he attempted to betray the League to Vandal Savage. Fortunately, I'd already deduced Red Arrow was a clone."

His white eyes stared steely at us, "We were prepared."

"Savage was subdued, but Red Arrow escaped. He is now a fugitive, armed and dangerous," Red Tornado added.

Conner rubbed the back of his neck, "If you guys hadn't rescued me from Cadmus.."

"What…What happened to the real Roy?" Robin asked, his voice small.

Bats was as emotionless as ever, "We don't know. He isn't at Cadmus. We have to face the possibility that the real Roy Harper is dead."

The four oldest sidekicks who knew 'Roy' all looked down with expressions that broke my heart. I slipped my hand into Robin's and gave it a squeeze. This must've hit him really hard. After a few moments, he squeezed back.

"The clone Roy. The Team will find him," Kaldur almost snarled.

"Negative. Red Arrow is a member of the Justice League now. Leave him to us," He pressed a finger to his cowl, "I'm needed at the Watchtower. Tornado, stay with the kids."

He turned to leave while I stared confusingly at him. Did Batman call us.._kids?_

_Clone or no clone, Red Arrow was one of us. We _will _go after him, _Kaldur's voice danced in my head.

There was a spark behind him, and Red Tornado just stopped moving.

_Tornado! _M'gann cried.

_What happened to him? _Conner asked a moment after.

Wally stepped closer, _He's totally powered down!_

Robin brought up his hologram, _All functions offline._

_Is he ok? _I peered closer at the robot.

_Guys, _Zatanna rested her fingertips on her forehead, _I'm sensing a low level mystic force at play. I-I don't know if it caused his shut down, but now that I think about it, I was getting the same buzz off Batman!_

_Batman…he called us kids! _Robin looked at us, _He never does that!_

_We're certainly _not _kids, _I scoffed.

_Look! _Wally reached out and took something out of Tornado's hand. He held it up to his face, _One of those bio-tech chips we confiscated off of Cheshire._

_Something is not right, _Kaldur said, _Robin, Kid, Zatanna, Rocket, Element, see if you can get Tornado back online. The rest with me to find Ro- Red Arrow._

_The problem's hardware, not software, _Robin explained as the others dashed towards the Zeta-tubes, _but where do we start?_

Zatanna walked forward, staring at the opening to Red's room, "I have an idea," She said aloud.

I smiled over at the magician, "Sometimes, Zee, I love your brain."

"Sometimes?" She asked, but smiled anyway.

"Take us up, Lexi," Wally said and I nodded, bringing my hand up. The ground moved to my command and rock stairs lead up to the hatch.

Wally and Robin hooked up Red Tornado to one platform and John Smith to the other.

"Download in progress," Wally informed us.

"So Tornado built this android…to party?" Raquel asked in disbelief. I burst out laughing.

"Uhh, not how he'd put it, but yeah. More or less," Zatanna humored her.

"RECOGNIZED: BLACK CANARY 13"

"Hey guys," The blonde said as soon as she materialized, "just wanted to check in, see how you're handling the-what are you doing to Red?"

"It's not how it looks!" Wally cried.

"It _looks _like you're downloading his consciousness into a new body!"

"Ok, so it's pretty much exactly what it looks, but-"

The speedster was cut off by John rising and shouting, "Team, get out of the Cave now!"

I only had a short second to feel confused when the Canary Cry was unleashed. John was ripped in half; one half hitting Wally and the other hitting Raquel and Zatanna. Robin ducked and I made a barrier out of rock.

Robin ran towards Canary, which was a bad idea in every aspect. I mean, she was our _trainer. _And how right I was, because Robin was flung across the room.

But, he was Robin so he placed a pellet on her jacket that sprayed knockout gas. Raquel got up and contained Black Canary and the gas in a force field, and the blonde passed out.

"B-Black Canary attack us?" Zatanna asked.

"Black Canary is the least of our problems," John's upper half said, "We must abandon the Cave."

"But why?" I asked as Sphere did that thing where she turned into a motorcycle.

I didn't get an answer, because the computer announced Icon, Doctor Fate, and Captain Marvel's arrival.

We quickly clamored into the SuperCycle and flew away from the Cave, Wolf, Red Tornado's broken body, and unconscious Black Canary along for the ride.

"Stay off your radio," John advised, "let the SuperCycle track Superboy. Instruct her to mask all signals. We cannot allow the League to track us."

Wally said, "Right. Of course. Just one question: why is the Justice League after us?"

"The entire is League is under the complete mental domination of Vandal Savage. Red Arrow seems to have been his means. His method was something Savage referred to as 'Starro Tech', an alien bio-organism fused with nano-technology and magic. It shuts down the mind's autonomy, allowing Savage to reprogram the individual to his needs. Even my inorganic brain was not immune.

"But the process requires zero-point-one-six nanoseconds to fully integrate with its host system. That delay allowed me to create an internal circuit, which would disconnect my power cells if I tried to infect another person. Fortunately, the Starro Tech is body specific. As John Smith, I am now free from outside control."

Robin glanced back, "This Starro Tech, it worked on super powered humans, four flavors of aliens, an android, even Doctor Fate? Defeating all of you without a fight?"

"Indeed. A remarkable achievement. One that is not easily countered."

"So, Red Arrow is the mole?" I asked.

"Yes," John confirmed.

"And Vandal Savage used him to take control over the Justice League?"

"Yes." He repeated.

"And that's why we're running?"

"Yes." Can a android act annoyed?

"Why?"

"E, stop talking," Robin said, half annoyed and half amused.

"Because we know," John replied simply.

"Right," I slumped in my seat, thoroughly confused.

The Bio-ship appeared above us, and Robin was talking to Miss Martian, and we came up with a plan.

Red Arrow, Black Canary, and Red Tornado would go to the Watchtower, seemingly still under control. They would find out exactly what Vandal Savage was planning to do with the Justice League. And, with our brilliant minds put together, we managed to create some tech of our own. This counter-acts the effect of the Starro Tech, leaving the victim free of any programming.

While the three infiltrated, we entered the Watchtower from an entrance on the way bottom.

_RT did it. Wireless __bypass cut the security as soon as he arrived. Savage doesn't know we're here. _Robin informed while looking at his wrist computer.

Aqualad ordered, _Move out._

We all targeted different members of the League. Kid Flash and Artemis got Plastic man, Superboy and Robin took down Hawkman, Miss Martian and Zatanna handled Atom, and Rocket and Aqualad stopped Captain Atom.

Then Miss M, Rocket, Zatanna, and I handled the three that were coming back. Doctor Fate was cured by Miss Martian, while Rocket and I worked together to get Icon with a little rock and force field action.

Zatanna shouted a spell that turned Captain Marvel back to Billy. He crashed into her and both went down. The magician pushed the boy off and walked towards Doctor Fate while Aqualad attended to Billy.

_Too bad Cure Tech doesn't work as fast as Starro Tech. We could use these guys! _Rocket commented.

I tuned out a little to Aqualad's reply, but then Kid Flash's voice entered my head, _Hey, if you guys aren't busy!_

_On my way, you three rendezvous with Robin and Superboy, _Aqualad left to help the speedster.

_I'll be right behind you, _Zatanna promised as Miss Martian and Rocket flew away. I frowned at her.

_You sure?_

She smiled at me, _Of course! Go on, I'll catch up._

I stared at her, then slowly nodded, backing up and following the rest out the room. When I entered the room that Rocket and Robin were in, I saw the black haired boy fighting Hawkwoman. With the help of Wolf, she was cured.

Wonder Woman tried lassoing the Boy Wonder, but Rocket quickly shielded him. When she retracted her lasso, Rocket covered her in a bubble as well.

_Can she escape your force bubble? _He asked her.

_Not if she keeps punching it, _the dark skinned girl scoffed, _The kinetic energy only makes it stronger. But I'm stuck here! Anything I do risks freeing her._

Robin nodded, then went over to cure John Stewart, who was taken down by Sphere.

"Element, look out!" Robin shouted. I turned around, then ducked as a black gloved hand swung for my head. I back-handed springed to dodge Batman's kick. I was swerving and jumping, trying to not hurt Bats without getting hurt myself.

"E, just hit him!" Robin called from who knows where.

"I can't!" I choked out, silently wondering how the heck I was still unharmed.

"He'll understand! Just do it!"

I gulped, and as Batman charged towards me, I angled my palm up, unleashing a gust of wind that sent him flying across the room. Robin pounced to put the Cure Tech on him, but the Dark Knight rose, slamming him down. It was mentor verses apprentice as Robin threw smoke bombs and both were encased.

Superboy was fighting both Superman and Martian Manhunter, but Sphere and Wolf were both helping him. Superman quickly lodged Sphere into the ceiling, but Miss Martian dealt with her uncle, changing into her real form and doing something to his mind.

The Man of Steel punched the Martian to the ground, then slammed Superboy into the wall. I did a couple of forms, and water from the pipes burst and started filling the floor. I moved my hands quickly, the water following and trapping Superman in an ice dome. I had a quick sense of déjà vu as I remembered that was how I trapped the thug that was hurting Batman all those months ago.

Much to my dismay, Superman broke free from the ice and roared. Superboy, Superman, Robin, and Batman took their battle to the lower levels, leaving me with Rocket and Wonder Woman.

The force field around the Princess faded, and to recover I entombed her in layers of concrete. Miss Martian snuck in behind and placed the Cure Tech in her neck, and I released her.

"Phew," I wiped the sweat off of my forehead, looking at the unconscious heroes that littered the floor, "We did it."

"We need to get back with the others," Miss Martian said, floating over to the doors. Rocket nodded.

"Element, are you coming?" Miss Martian asked.

"Yeah. Just..gimme a sec," I asked, turning away from my two friends. As soon as their footsteps receded, I walked over the big glass window, staring at the Earth below.

I placed a hand on the glass and whispered, "We saved the world."

* * *

><p>When I entered the main room, I was greeted with the sight of the whole Team kissing each other, as was the tradition of the start of the new year.<p>

"Augh!" I cried, covering my eyes with my hand, "PDA much?"

Wally, who was sucking faces with Artemis, looked up, "You just have never been kissed before!"

I smirked, then turned my eyes to Robin to see Zatanna and him were swapping spit. My eyes narrowed, but I said nothing.

Robin detached himself from her, then crossed over to me. In one swoop, he had me in his arms and kissed me in front of the entire Team.

I smiled when he brought me back to my feet and turned to Wally, "You were saying?"

"What?" He sputtered, "How?"

"You two were dating this entire time?" Zatanna asked, the hurt displayed across her face. My heart twisted in pity.

"Not this entire time. Just for a few weeks," Robin explained.

"Human customs still elude me," Red Tornado broke in, making us all laugh.

* * *

><p>I watched the sun rose from the Watchtower, marveling on how pretty the sun looked from space. Sitting down, I reflected on how much my life has changed. Was it really just seven months since I saved Batman? Was it really a year ago when I escaped from Slade? It all seemed so long ago…<p>

I closed my eyes, memories of this past year flashing before my eyes. It was amazing how a person could change so much in so little time. But hey, look at Artemis. She managed to prove her dad wrong and join the side of heroes.

I sighed happily and opened my eyes, watching as the sun rose into a new day.


End file.
